NEW DELHI: An American airways flight attendant Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, was indicted on Thursday following accusations of trying to secretly report video of a 14-year-old woman utilizing an airplane restroom final September. Authorities have additional disclosed that Thompson had recordings of 4 extra ladies utilizing toilets on an plane the place he was employed.
Thomson was arrested for tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of photographs of kid sexual abuse depicting a prepubescent minor.
Thompson confronted expenses and was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, in January 2024. He has remained in federal custody since then. Following the indictment by a federal grand jury, Thompson’s lawyer acknowledged that they had been unable to supply any remark.
Throughout a flight from Charlotte to Boston on September 2, 2023, investigators reported that halfway by way of the journey, the 14-year-old tried to make use of the primary cabin bathroom closest to her seat, solely to find it was already occupied.
Investigators mentioned that Thompson then knowledgeable her that the first-class bathroom was accessible and accompanied her there. Previous to her coming into the toilet, Thompson allegedly talked about that he wanted to clean his fingers and cautioned her a couple of damaged bathroom seat.
After he left, the teenager entered the toilet and she or he noticed pink stickers on the underside of the bathroom seat lid, which was within the open place, officers mentioned.
Beneath the stickers, Thompson had hid his iPhone to report a video, investigators mentioned. The woman used her telephone to take an image of the stickers and hid iPhone earlier than leaving.
Prosecutors additionally allege lots of of photographs of kid sexual abuse generated by way of synthetic intelligence had been discovered saved on Thompson’s iCloud account.
A search of Thompson’s iCloud account uncovered 4 extra cases between January and August 2023 the place Thompson recorded a minor utilizing the bathroom on an plane. The people within the recordings had been aged 7, 9, 11, and 14 on the time, as reported by investigators. Authorities have knowledgeable the households of these depicted within the recordings, they added.
Trying sexual exploitation of youngsters can lead to a jail sentence starting from 15 to 30 years, whereas possessing photographs of sexual abuse involving a prepubescent minor can result in as much as 20 years behind bars. Each offenses additionally carry the opportunity of a minimum of 5 years to a lifetime of supervised launch, together with a superb of as much as USD 250,000 and the requirement for restitution.
American Airways beforehand issued an announcement saying the flight attendant was “instantly withheld from service” and hasn’t labored for the reason that telephone was found.
Thomson was arrested for tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of photographs of kid sexual abuse depicting a prepubescent minor.
Thompson confronted expenses and was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, in January 2024. He has remained in federal custody since then. Following the indictment by a federal grand jury, Thompson’s lawyer acknowledged that they had been unable to supply any remark.
Throughout a flight from Charlotte to Boston on September 2, 2023, investigators reported that halfway by way of the journey, the 14-year-old tried to make use of the primary cabin bathroom closest to her seat, solely to find it was already occupied.
Investigators mentioned that Thompson then knowledgeable her that the first-class bathroom was accessible and accompanied her there. Previous to her coming into the toilet, Thompson allegedly talked about that he wanted to clean his fingers and cautioned her a couple of damaged bathroom seat.
After he left, the teenager entered the toilet and she or he noticed pink stickers on the underside of the bathroom seat lid, which was within the open place, officers mentioned.
Beneath the stickers, Thompson had hid his iPhone to report a video, investigators mentioned. The woman used her telephone to take an image of the stickers and hid iPhone earlier than leaving.
Prosecutors additionally allege lots of of photographs of kid sexual abuse generated by way of synthetic intelligence had been discovered saved on Thompson’s iCloud account.
A search of Thompson’s iCloud account uncovered 4 extra cases between January and August 2023 the place Thompson recorded a minor utilizing the bathroom on an plane. The people within the recordings had been aged 7, 9, 11, and 14 on the time, as reported by investigators. Authorities have knowledgeable the households of these depicted within the recordings, they added.
Trying sexual exploitation of youngsters can lead to a jail sentence starting from 15 to 30 years, whereas possessing photographs of sexual abuse involving a prepubescent minor can result in as much as 20 years behind bars. Each offenses additionally carry the opportunity of a minimum of 5 years to a lifetime of supervised launch, together with a superb of as much as USD 250,000 and the requirement for restitution.
American Airways beforehand issued an announcement saying the flight attendant was “instantly withheld from service” and hasn’t labored for the reason that telephone was found.
