NEW DELHI: A flight attendant operating for American Airways used to be arrested on Thursday for allegedly making an attempt to secretly document a 14-year-old feminine passenger the use of the washroom right through a flight in September ultimate 12 months, the Related Press reported.
The accused, Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, from Charlotte, North Carolina, may be going through fees for possessing recordings of 4 different minor feminine passengers the use of toilets on a distinct flight he had labored on up to now.
Thompson has been charged with tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and ownership of kid sexual abuse photographs involving a prepubescent minor.
He used to be arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, and can stay in custody till his preliminary courtroom look in Virginia. Therefore, he’ll be introduced in federal courtroom in Boston on a later date, as showed via officers.
“The deeply hectic habits alleged this is one thing no mother or father or kid will have to ever have to fret about after they trip,” performing US legal professional Joshua Levy mentioned in a observation.
“Mr Thompson allegedly used his place to prey on and surreptitiously document blameless kids, together with unaccompanied minors,” Levy added.
American Airways answered to the incident via issuing a observation, emphasizing the seriousness of the allegation. The airline mentioned that the accused used to be “straight away withheld from carrier following the September 2023 incident”.
“We’ve got been absolutely cooperating with regulation enforcement in its investigation as there’s not anything extra vital than the security and safety of our shoppers and workforce,” the observation additional mentioned.
No touch knowledge for Thompson used to be to be had, and it stays unclear whether or not he has prison illustration.
In step with investigators, the incident befell right through a flight from Charlotte to Boston on September 2, 2023. The 14-year-old passenger were given up to make use of the bathroom nearest to her seat however discovered it occupied.
Thompson, the flight attendant, directed her to the first class bathroom, claiming it used to be unoccupied. Prior to getting into, he knowledgeable her that he had to wash his fingers and that the bathroom seat used to be damaged.
As soon as within the bathroom, {the teenager} came upon crimson stickers underneath the bathroom seat lid, mentioning “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT,” “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN.”
She took {a photograph} of the stickers, in addition to the hid iPhone that Thompson had hidden to document a video. Thompson re-entered the toilet after the woman left.
The woman knowledgeable her folks, and her father faced Thompson, who locked himself in the bathroom together with his iPhone for a number of mins earlier than the flight’s descent.
Upon looking out Thompson’s suitcase, investigators came upon 11 stickers very similar to those present in the bathroom.
Moreover, Thompson’s iCloud account allegedly published 4 further cases between January and August 2023 the place he had recorded minors the use of the bathroom on a distinct flight. The sufferers in those recordings have been elderly 7, 9, 11, and 14 on the time.
Moreover, Thompson’s iCloud account contained over 50 photographs of a 9-year-old minor who used to be now not accompanied via an grownup.
Regulation enforcement government have recognized the entire minor sufferers concerned on this case and feature contacted their households, Levy knowledgeable.
A legal professional representing the circle of relatives of the 14-year-old sufferer, who’ve expressed their aim to sue the airline, expressed pleasure with the arrest. Paul Llewellyn, the legal professional, mentioned, “Additionally it is stunning to listen to that he allegedly preyed on a minimum of 5 minors whilst they have been flying on American. It continues to be noticed whether or not American Airways will now in spite of everything take some measure of duty.”
Investigators additionally came upon a vital selection of AI-generated kid sexual abuse photographs saved in Thompson’s iCloud account.
The fees of tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and ownership of kid sexual abuse subject material involving a prepubescent minor raise critical consequences with the previous sporting a minimal sentence of 15 years and a most sentence of 30 years in jail, whilst the latter, a sentence of a minimum of 5 years and as much as twenty years in jail. Each fees additionally raise the potential for a life-time of supervised unencumber, a effective of as much as $2,50,000, and restitution.
American Airways, headquartered in Fortress Value, Texas, operates a big hub at Charlotte airport.
