BOSTON — Authorities have arrested an American Airlines flight attendant who is accused of taping his iPhone to the toilet to record a teenage girl who was using the airplane bathroom on a Boston-bound flight in September.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is also alleged to have recordings of four additional minor female passengers — some as young as 7 years old — using bathrooms aboard the aircraft he had worked previously, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Thompson was charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.
A search of Thompson’s iCloud account allegedly revealed four additional instances between January and August 2023 in which Thompson recorded a minor using the lavatory on an aircraft, authorities said. The minor victims allegedly depicted in the recordings were seven, nine, 11 and 14 years old at the time.
Additionally, over 50 images of a nine-year-old unaccompanied minor were allegedly found in Thompson’s iCloud. The images included photos taken while the minor victim was seated in her seat pre-flight and close-ups of her face while sleeping.
It is further alleged that hundreds of images of AI-generated child pornography were also found stored on Thompson’s iCloud account.
“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,” Acting U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in a statement. “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.”
Thompson was arrested Thursday in Lynchburg, Virginia and will remain in custody pending his initial appearance in the Western District of Virginia, Levy said. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“Today, the FBI arrested Estes Carter Thompson III after he repeatedly targeted unsuspecting children to sexually exploit them for his own gratification. What Mr. Thompson is accused of doing is disgraceful, and we believe, calculated, given that this alleged conduct occurred on at least five flights,” Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, said in a statement. “This case should make it crystal clear that the FBI takes crimes aboard aircraft and the sexual exploitation of children seriously. 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.”
The family of the teenage girl filed a lawsuit against American Airlines in U.S. district court in North Carolina.
According to the charging documents, on Sept. 2, 2023, while working as a flight attendant onboard an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Boston, Thompson “video-recorded or attempted to surreptitiously video-record a 14-year-old female passenger as she used the aircraft lavatory.”
“Specifically, approximately midway through the flight, the minor victim got up to use the main cabin lavatory nearest to where she was seated. When the minor victim arrived at the lavatory it was occupied. After the minor victim had been waiting a short time, Thompson allegedly approached her, told her that the first-class lavatory was unoccupied, and escorted her toward first class,” according to the charging documents.
“Before the minor victim entered the lavatory, Thompson allegedly told her that he needed to wash his hands and that the lavatory’s toilet seat was broken and briefly entered the lavatory. It is alleged that, after Thompson exited the lavatory, the minor victim entered and observed red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, that stated, “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” and “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN” was hand-written in black ink on one of the stickers,” according to the charging documents. “It is alleged that, beneath the red stickers, Thompson had concealed his iPhone to record a video. The minor victim used her phone to take a picture of the red stickers and the concealed iPhone she found in the lavatory before exiting, at which time Thompson allegedly re-entered it immediately.”
According to court documents, when the minor victim returned to her seat, she informed her parents of what she saw and showed them the picture. The victim’s parents reported the matter to other flight attendants onboard who notified the captain, who in turn notified law enforcement on the ground.
“She’s one of the toughest people I know,” the victim’s father said. “To have the forethought to have taken the picture that she did and stand up like she did, I don’t think many teenagers can do that.”
It is alleged that the victim’s father confronted Thompson who, shortly thereafter, locked himself in the lavatory with his iPhone for three to five minutes prior to the flight’s descent.
“Upon the flight’s arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport, law enforcement observed that Thompson’s iPhone may have been restored to factory settings. It is alleged that a subsequent search of Thompson’s suitcase was found to contain 11 “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” stickers, like those observed by the minor victim on the back of the toilet seat,” according to the charging documents.
Paul Llewellyn, an attorney representing the 14-year-old victim’s family is appalled by the allegations.
“I’m shocked that there at least five alleged victims of this person,” he said. “If the allegations are true, this means there was a serial pedophile flying for months on American Airlines and that is incredibly disturbing.”
Llewellyn has filed lawsuit on behalf of the family suing both American Airlines and Thompson.
He told Boston 25 News that the civil suit in still in its early stages in North Carolina.
All minor victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families contacted by law enforcement.
The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison. Both charges also provide for at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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