NEW DELHI: A flight attendant working for American Airways was arrested on Thursday for allegedly making an attempt to secretly document a 14-year-old feminine passenger utilizing the washroom throughout a flight in September final yr, the Related Press reported.
The accused, Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, from Charlotte, North Carolina, can be going through costs for possessing recordings of 4 different minor feminine passengers utilizing toilets on a special flight he had labored on beforehand.
Thompson has been charged with tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of kid sexual abuse photos involving a prepubescent minor.
He was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, and can stay in custody till his preliminary courtroom look in Virginia. Subsequently, he can be offered in federal courtroom in Boston on a later date, as confirmed by officers.
“The deeply disturbing conduct alleged right here is one thing no guardian or little one ought to ever have to fret about after they journey,” performing US lawyer Joshua Levy stated in a press release.
“Mr Thompson allegedly used his place to prey on and surreptitiously document harmless kids, together with unaccompanied minors,” Levy added.
American Airways responded to the incident by issuing a press release, emphasizing the seriousness of the allegation. The airline said that the accused was “instantly withheld from service following the September 2023 incident”.
“We now have been totally cooperating with regulation enforcement in its investigation as there’s nothing extra vital than the protection and safety of our clients and workforce,” the assertion additional stated.
No contact info for Thompson was out there, and it stays unclear whether or not he has authorized illustration.
In line with investigators, the incident occurred throughout a flight from Charlotte to Boston on September 2, 2023. The 14-year-old passenger acquired 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 toilet, claiming it was unoccupied. Earlier than getting into, he knowledgeable her that he wanted to clean his palms and that the bathroom seat was damaged.
As soon as inside the bathroom, {the teenager} found purple stickers beneath the bathroom seat lid, stating “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 mother and father, and her father confronted Thompson, who locked himself in the bathroom together with his iPhone for a number of minutes earlier than the flight’s descent.
Upon looking out Thompson’s suitcase, investigators found 11 stickers much like those present in the bathroom.
Moreover, Thompson’s iCloud account allegedly revealed 4 further cases between January and August 2023 the place he had recorded minors utilizing the bathroom on a special flight. The victims in these recordings had been aged 7, 9, 11, and 14 on the time.
Moreover, Thompson’s iCloud account contained over 50 photos of a 9-year-old minor who was not accompanied by an grownup.
Legislation enforcement authorities have recognized all of the minor victims concerned on this case and have contacted their households, Levy knowledgeable.
A lawyer representing the household of the 14-year-old sufferer, who’ve expressed their intention to sue the airline, expressed satisfaction with the arrest. Paul Llewellyn, the lawyer, said, “It is usually stunning to listen to that he allegedly preyed on a minimum of 5 minors whereas they had been flying on American. It stays to be seen whether or not American Airways will now lastly take some measure of duty.”
Investigators additionally found a major variety of AI-generated little one sexual abuse photos saved in Thompson’s iCloud account.
The fees of tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of kid sexual abuse materials involving a prepubescent minor carry extreme penalties with the previous carrying a minimal sentence of 15 years and a most sentence of 30 years in jail, whereas the latter, a sentence of a minimum of 5 years and as much as 20 years in jail. Each costs additionally carry the opportunity of a lifetime of supervised launch, a high quality of as much as $2,50,000, and restitution.
American Airways, headquartered in Fort Value, Texas, operates a serious hub at Charlotte airport.
The accused, Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, from Charlotte, North Carolina, can be going through costs for possessing recordings of 4 different minor feminine passengers utilizing toilets on a special flight he had labored on beforehand.
Thompson has been charged with tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of kid sexual abuse photos involving a prepubescent minor.
He was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, and can stay in custody till his preliminary courtroom look in Virginia. Subsequently, he can be offered in federal courtroom in Boston on a later date, as confirmed by officers.
“The deeply disturbing conduct alleged right here is one thing no guardian or little one ought to ever have to fret about after they journey,” performing US lawyer Joshua Levy stated in a press release.
“Mr Thompson allegedly used his place to prey on and surreptitiously document harmless kids, together with unaccompanied minors,” Levy added.
American Airways responded to the incident by issuing a press release, emphasizing the seriousness of the allegation. The airline said that the accused was “instantly withheld from service following the September 2023 incident”.
“We now have been totally cooperating with regulation enforcement in its investigation as there’s nothing extra vital than the protection and safety of our clients and workforce,” the assertion additional stated.
No contact info for Thompson was out there, and it stays unclear whether or not he has authorized illustration.
In line with investigators, the incident occurred throughout a flight from Charlotte to Boston on September 2, 2023. The 14-year-old passenger acquired 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 toilet, claiming it was unoccupied. Earlier than getting into, he knowledgeable her that he wanted to clean his palms and that the bathroom seat was damaged.
As soon as inside the bathroom, {the teenager} found purple stickers beneath the bathroom seat lid, stating “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 mother and father, and her father confronted Thompson, who locked himself in the bathroom together with his iPhone for a number of minutes earlier than the flight’s descent.
Upon looking out Thompson’s suitcase, investigators found 11 stickers much like those present in the bathroom.
Moreover, Thompson’s iCloud account allegedly revealed 4 further cases between January and August 2023 the place he had recorded minors utilizing the bathroom on a special flight. The victims in these recordings had been aged 7, 9, 11, and 14 on the time.
Moreover, Thompson’s iCloud account contained over 50 photos of a 9-year-old minor who was not accompanied by an grownup.
Legislation enforcement authorities have recognized all of the minor victims concerned on this case and have contacted their households, Levy knowledgeable.
A lawyer representing the household of the 14-year-old sufferer, who’ve expressed their intention to sue the airline, expressed satisfaction with the arrest. Paul Llewellyn, the lawyer, said, “It is usually stunning to listen to that he allegedly preyed on a minimum of 5 minors whereas they had been flying on American. It stays to be seen whether or not American Airways will now lastly take some measure of duty.”
Investigators additionally found a major variety of AI-generated little one sexual abuse photos saved in Thompson’s iCloud account.
The fees of tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of kid sexual abuse materials involving a prepubescent minor carry extreme penalties with the previous carrying a minimal sentence of 15 years and a most sentence of 30 years in jail, whereas the latter, a sentence of a minimum of 5 years and as much as 20 years in jail. Each costs additionally carry the opportunity of a lifetime of supervised launch, a high quality of as much as $2,50,000, and restitution.
American Airways, headquartered in Fort Value, Texas, operates a serious hub at Charlotte airport.
