CHARLOTTE—A flight attendant from American Airlines, accused of attempting to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September, pleaded not guilty to two federal charges in Boston on Monday.
Estes Carter Thompson III faces one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possessing images of child sexual abuse involving a prepubescent minor.
Authorities claim that Thompson, 36, from Charlotte, North Carolina, had recordings of four other girls—ages 7, 9, 11, and 14—using aircraft lavatories.
Thompson was arrested in January 2024 in Lynchburg, Virginia, and has been in federal custody since then.
During a flight from Charlotte to Boston on Sept. 2, 2023, investigators state that Thompson directed the 14-year-old girl to use the first-class lavatory due to the main cabin lavatory being occupied. Before she entered, he allegedly mentioned the need to wash his hands and a broken toilet seat.
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Upon the girl’s inspection, she discovered red stickers under the toilet seat lid indicating an iPhone hidden to record a video. She took a photo of the stickers and concealed iPhone before exiting.
Prosecutors claim that Thompson’s iCloud account contained numerous images of child sexual abuse created through artificial intelligence, along with recordings of the other four girls from previous flights.
American Airlines stated that Thompson was immediately removed from service upon his arrest and has not worked for the airline since the discovery of the phone.
The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children carries a potential prison sentence of 15-30 years, while possession of images of sexual abuse involving a prepubescent minor can result in up to 20 years behind bars.
Both charges also carry a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution.
Thompson’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 1.
By Steve LeBlanc
