American Airlines Attendant Arrested for Filming Minors on Flights

Estes Carter Thompson III, a former American Airlines flight attendant, was arrested for allegedly filming multiple juvenile girls in airplane bathrooms during flights in 2023. The 37-year-old was apprehended in Lynchburg, Va., and is facing charges of attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.

The case unfolded on September 2, 2023, on a flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Boston. A 14-year-old girl, escorted by Thompson to the first-class lavatory, discovered a concealed iPhone recording video beneath misleading signs about broken equipment. After photographing the setup and informing her parents, the matter was escalated to the flight crew and the captain.

A subsequent search of Thompson's iCloud account revealed additional videos of juvenile girls using airplane lavatories. This finding expanded the investigation's scope, highlighting the severity of the misconduct. The U.S. attorney for the district of Massachusetts condemned the acts, emphasizing the need for safety and security for children and all flight passengers.​

Source: New York Post