BOSTON (WWLP) — An American Airlines flight attendant accused of surreptitiously recording minors while they used the plane lavatory was arrested Thursday.
Estes Carter Thompson III allegedly attempted to record a 14-year-old female passenger as she used the bathroom aboard an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, N.C. to Boston, Mass on Sept. 2, 2023, according to the Department of Justice in Boston.
The 37-year-old airline employee is also accused of recording four other girls, ages 7, 9, 11 and 14, as they went to the bathroom during a flight.
Thompson, who was working as an attendant on the Sept. 2 flight to Boston, approached the 14-year-old while she waited for an occupied bathroom in the main cabin and escorted her to an unoccupied first class bathroom, according to the charging documents. Before the girl went in, however, Thompson allegedly told her that he needed to wash his hands and that the toilet seat was broken before he briefly entered the bathroom.
After Thompson came out of the bathroom, court documents say, the teen entered and noticed red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, that stated in handwritten black ink: “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT,” “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN.”
The victim used her phone to take a picture of the red stickers that allegedly concealed an iPhone placed beneath them before leaving the bathroom. Thompson then re-entered the lavatory immediately after, documents say.
When she returned to her seat, the 14-year-old told her parents what she saw and showed them the photo. Her parents notified other flight attendants onboard who notified the captain. The captain in turn notified law enforcement on the ground.
The victim’s father confronted Thompson who, shortly thereafter, locked himself in the bathroom with his phone for several minutes before the flight’s descent, according to the documents.
Law enforcement officials stated that when the flight arrived at Logan Airport in Boston, it appeared that Thompson’s iPhone may have been restored to factory settings. Police also allegedly found 11 “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” stickers in his suitcase.
Investigators said a search of Thompson’s iCould account revealed four instances between January and August 2023 that appeared to show minors using plane bathrooms, along with over 50 images of a 9-year-old unaccompanied minor, including images of the child seated pre-flight and close-ups of her face as she slept. In addition, hundreds of AI-generated child pornography images were allegedly stored on Thompson’s iCloud account.
The families of the minors have been identified and contacted by law enforcement, according to the Department of Justice.
An American Airlines spokesperson told Nexstar that Thompson was “withheld from service” following the Sept. 2023 incident and hasn’t worked since.
“We take these allegations very seriously. They do not reflect our airline or our core mission of caring for people. We have been fully cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation, as there is nothing more important than the safety and security of our customers and team.”
American Airlines spokesperson
Thompson, of Charlotte, N.C., was arrested in Lynchburg, Va., and charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.
He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. If convicted, Thompson faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison for attempted sexual exploitation of children and at least five years and up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. Both charges also include at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution.
“The deeply disturbing conduct alleged here is something no parent or child should ever have to worry about when they travel. Mr. Thompson allegedly used his position to prey on and surreptitiously record innocent children, including unaccompanied minors, while in a vulnerable state aboard flights he was working,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Everyone – especially children – should feel safe and secure as airline passengers, and parents should feel comfortable traveling with their children. Protecting children is a paramount priority for this office and we will aggressively investigate and hold accountable people who victimize children.”
Jodi Cohen, a special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division says this case should make it clear that the FBI takes crimes aboard aircraft and the sexual exploitation of children seriously.
Cohen added: “If you’ve been the victim of a crime aboard an aircraft or have witnessed one take place, we ask you to report it to both your flight crew and the FBI.”