The Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a press release Thursday that authorities arrested an American Airlines flight attendant for allegedly attempting to film a minor using the restroom on a plane, court documents revealed.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, was arrested in Virginia on January 18th and charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography, specifically featuring prepubescent minors. The Department of Justice has revealed that court documents show that he has been charged with. said.
The incident began in September 2023, when a 14-year-old passenger on a flight from Charlotte to Boston claimed that Thompson directed her to the first-class restroom where the toilet seat appeared to be broken. erupted, court documents read. Documents say the girl found an iPhone hidden under a sticker inside the car and took a photo of her before leaving. When her parents learned of their daughter's alleged experience, they alerted a flight attendant, who alerted law enforcement, according to documents. (Related: 'Pedo Pete': Massive 4Chan hack of Hunter Biden's explicit texts, images, videos rocks the internet)
American Airlines Flight Attendant Charged with Recording Minors Using Airplane Restrooms: Justice Department https://t.co/apvN71SE1g
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The incident sparked an extensive investigation that revealed a pattern of such activity by Thompson, the Justice Department said in documents. An analysis of his iCloud account allegedly found recordings of four minors between the ages of 7 and 14 in similar situations, as well as more than 50 images of a 9-year-old passenger. According to the documents, hundreds of AI-generated images of child pornography were found in his possession.
Thompson's charges carry stiff penalties, including up to 30 years in prison for attempted sexual exploitation and up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography, according to a Department of Justice press release. In addition, post-sentence supervised release, large fines and restitution are being considered, according to the Justice Department.
“The extremely troubling conduct alleged here is something no parent or child should ever have to worry about when traveling.” According to a Department of Justice press release, Mr. Thompson worked in dangerous conditions on a plane. “While he was working as a police officer, he allegedly used his position to prey on and secretly record innocent children, including unaccompanied minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. Stated.
Jody Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, expressed deep concern about the allegations. “Mr. Thompson's conduct was disgraceful, and we believe it is calculated to do so given that it occurred on at least five flights,” Cohen said, according to the Justice Department.
