An American Airways flight attendant used to be arrested in Virginia on Thursday by means of federal brokers who accused him of recording younger ladies in plane toilets, federal prosecutors in Massachusetts introduced.Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, has been charged with sexual exploitation of youngsters and ownership of kid pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. He used to be stuck in September by means of a 14-year-old lady he tried to document in the toilet, in keeping with the administrative center of the U.S. Legal professional for the District of Massachusetts.In line with a possible motive affidavit received by means of HuffPost, Thompson approached the woman whilst on a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Boston.
American Airways planes take a seat at the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport on Jan. 11, 2023, in New York.Thompson spotted the woman used to be ready outdoor the airplane’s loo, then presented for her the firstclass loo and escorted her there. Thompson then went into the rest room earlier than the woman, pointing out he needed to wash his palms, and when he got here out, he informed her the bathroom seat used to be damaged. In line with the affidavit, the 14-year-old “felt that the period of time” he used to be within the loo gave the impression “a bit lengthy for merely washing his palms.”The woman noticed crimson stickers beneath the bathroom seat lid with handwritten phrases that said “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” and “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN,” in keeping with the affidavit.
Photograph taken by means of the 14-year-old lady on American Airline by the use of Paul T. LlewellynAccording to the affidavit, when the 14-year-old grew to become to flush the bathroom, she spotted an iPhone peeking out from in the back of the stickers. The woman took a photograph of the iPhone and the stickers earlier than leaving, and Thompson allegedly entered the toilet right away after she exited. The woman confirmed her folks a photograph of the hidden iPhone when she returned to her seat, according to the affidavit. Her mom rushed to the rest room to search out the stickers and iPhone long past.Brokers stated her father faced the flight attendants on board, together with Thompson, and demanded to look his iPhone. The daddy “noticed the colour drain out” of Thompson’s face, the affidavit learn.After the daddy faced him, Thompson allegedly retreated into the rest room along with his telephone and stayed there till the flight’s descent.Legislation enforcement at the floor met with Thompson and requested to go looking his telephone. In line with the affidavit, police who searched Thompson’s iPhone suspected he restored the telephone to manufacturing facility settings. Then again, a seek of Thompson’s iCloud published that he had recorded younger ladies the usage of the airplane’s rest room no less than 4 other occasions, the affidavit stated. The ladies Thompson recorded have been 7, 9, 11 and 14 years outdated when the pictures have been allegedly taken, between January and August 2023.The case paperwork stated police discovered greater than 50 pictures of a 9-year-old, together with pictures of her in the back of and close-ups taken whilst she used to be dozing all over a flight, in addition to AI-generated kid intercourse abuse subject matter.A seek of Thompson’s suitcase additionally discovered the stickers the 14-year-old lady had seen.In a commentary to HuffPost, American Airways stated the corporate takes “those allegations very significantly.”“We have now been totally cooperating with regulation enforcement in its investigation, as there may be not anything extra necessary than the security and safety of our consumers and crew,” the commentary learn.Thompson has been stored from operating for the airline since September and hasn’t labored since, in keeping with the airline.Paul T. Llewellyn, an legal professional representing the circle of relatives of the 14-year-old in a lawsuit towards the airline, informed HuffPost in an e mail that the incident “will have to by no means had been allowed and should by no means occur once more.”“It is usually surprising to listen to that he allegedly preyed on no less than 5 minors whilst they have been flying on American,” Llewellyn stated. “Whilst the prison justice gadget should now run its path towards the flight attendant, it is still observed whether or not American Airways will now in the end take some measure of duty to the households for what came about. ”Make stronger HuffPostThe Stakes Have By no means Been HigherAt HuffPost, we consider that everybody wishes top quality journalism, however we keep in mind that now not everybody can manage to pay for to pay for dear information subscriptions. 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