An American Airlines flight attendant has pleaded guilty to child exploitation charges after secretly recording underage girls in airplane bathrooms by taping his iPhone to toilet seats.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, from Charlotte, North Carolina, admitted to filming multiple victims, including girls as young as seven, on flights during 2023. He faces up to 20 years in prison following his court appearance Thursday.
Prosecutors in Boston detailed how Thompson deceived victims by placing maintenance stickers labeled “seat broken” on toilet seats to conceal his recording device. One victim, a 14-year-old girl, discovered his hidden phone during a September 2023 flight to Boston and photographed the evidence before alerting her parents.
When confronted by the girl’s father, Thompson locked himself in the bathroom and restored his phone to factory settings. The flight captain contacted law enforcement, who were waiting when the plane landed at Boston’s Logan Airport.
Subsequent investigation revealed Thompson had recorded multiple children in airplane bathrooms. Authorities found footage of girls ages 7, 9, 11, and 14 in his iCloud account, along with 50 photos of an unaccompanied nine-year-old passenger taken while she slept in her seat. Investigators also discovered a collection of AI-generated child pornography.
“All minor victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families have been contacted by law enforcement,” prosecutors told the court.
Thompson pleaded guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor, charges that carry maximum sentences of 30 and 20 years respectively. After securing a plea deal, he will likely receive between 15 and 20 years imprisonment.
“I expect the defense will seek a 15-year sentence,” said Thompson’s federal public defender, Scott Lauer, according to The Boston Globe. The flight attendant may also face fines up to $250,000.
Families of two victims have filed lawsuits against American Airlines. The 14-year-old’s family accuses the airline of negligence for failing to secure Thompson’s phone after its discovery, potentially allowing him to delete evidence. Relatives of the nine-year-old victim recorded in January 2023 have also sued.
American Airlines initially attempted to blame the nine-year-old for using a toilet “she knew or should have known contained a visible and illuminated recording device.” The airline later apologized for this response and dismissed the legal team responsible for those comments.
“We do not believe this child is at fault and we take the allegations involving a former team member very seriously,” the airline stated last May.
Paul Llewellyn, whose firm represents the 14-year-old and another victim, said: “We are pleased to hear the American Airlines flight attendant who preyed on at least five young girls as they used the airplane bathroom has pled guilty for his depraved crimes. We commend the US Attorney’s Office for its work on the criminal case in bringing this felon to justice.”
Thompson’s sentencing is scheduled for June 17.
