News Summary
Estes Carter Thompson III, a former American Airlines flight attendant, has been sentenced to 18½ years in prison for secretly recording young girls in airplane bathrooms. His illegal actions involved directing minors to specific restrooms to create a hidden recording setup. After a 14-year-old girl exposed him, investigations revealed he recorded several minors. The case has raised significant concerns about child safety protocols in the airline industry, prompting calls for reform to better protect children during travel.
Boston – Estes Carter Thompson III, a 37-year-old former American Airlines flight attendant, has been sentenced to 18½ years in prison for secretly recording young girls in airplane bathrooms. The decision comes after Thompson pled guilty to charges of attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography. His actions have raised serious concerns regarding child safety and employee accountability in the airline industry.
Thompson was arrested in January 2024 after a 14-year-old girl discovered his cellphone taped to the underside of a toilet seat lid while flying to Boston in September 2023. Investigations revealed that he had recorded at least five young girls, aged 6, 9, 11, and two 14-year-olds, during the bathroom incidents that occurred between January and September of the same year.
According to prosecutor statements, Thompson had created a “secret recording studio” by directing young girls to specific restrooms on American Airlines flights. The 14-year-old passenger noticed red stickers on the toilet seat, indicating it was inoperative, which led her to look closer and subsequently find the concealed iPhone. After documenting the find through photos, she reported the incident to her parents, who immediately alerted the flight crew.
Upon being confronted, Thompson attempted to destroy evidence by locking himself in the lavatory and resetting the iPhone to factory settings. However, investigators later uncovered evidence of four additional recording incidents on his iCloud account, along with over 50 images of a 9-year-old child who had traveled as an unaccompanied minor.
In March 2024, Thompson entered a guilty plea for his criminal actions. Although prosecutors recommended a 20-year sentence, and Thompson requested a lesser 15-year term, U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick ultimately sentenced him to 18½ years in prison, along with five years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. The judge described his actions as “appalling” and emphasized the serious harm inflicted on the young girls involved.
Following the discovery of Thompson’s activities, American Airlines terminated his employment and has since agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of the 14-year-old girl. During the sentencing, Thompson expressed remorse for his actions, describing them as “selfish, perverse, and wrong.”
This case has sparked discussions surrounding the need for enhanced child safety protocols and accountability measures within the airline industry to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The seriousness of the crimes and the profiles of the victims have intensified scrutiny, leading to calls for reforms aimed at better protecting children during air travel.
As society grapples with technological advancements and their implications for safety, cases like Thompson’s continue to illuminate the vulnerabilities that exist, particularly in environments presumed safe for children. The repercussions of his actions will resonate beyond his sentencing, urging both law enforcement and industry leaders to prioritize the protection of minors against exploitation.
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Additional Resources
- USA Today
- Wikipedia: Child exploitation
- WCNC
- Google Search: American Airlines child safety protocols
- WSOC TV
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Child protection
- QC News
- Google News: Airline industry child safety
