Flight attendant ‘who secretly recorded 14-year-old girl in American Airlines flight bathroom’ is arrested – as cops claim he had videos of FOUR other minor female passengers on planes he’d worked on

A male flight attendant secretly recorded several minors as they used the bathroom aboard American Airlines flights, according to police.

Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, was arrested Thursday for allegedly trying to secretly record a 14-year-old female passenger using a bathroom aboard a flight he was working on last September.

Police also say the Charlotte, North Carolina, resident had recordings of four other underage female passengers using restrooms on a plane he had previously worked on.

Thompson was charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse images depicting a prepubescent minor.

Investigators said that about halfway through the Sept. 2, 2023, flight from Charlotte to Boston, the 14-year-old got up to use the main cabin restroom closest to her seat, only to find it was occupied.

The teen entered the bathroom and noticed red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid that read “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT,” “REMOVE FROM OPERATION” and “SEAT BROKEN,” handwritten in black ink on one of the stickers

Thompson then told her the first-class restroom was empty and escorted her there, investigators said. Before she entered the bathroom, Thompson allegedly told her he needed to wash his hands and that the toilet seat was broken.

After leaving, the teen entered the bathroom and noticed red stickers on the bottom of the toilet seat lid, which was open, reading “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT,” “REMOVE FROM OPERATION,” and “SEAT BROKEN,” handwritten in black ink on one of the stickers, according to court documents.

Under the stickers, Thompson had hidden his iPhone to record a video, investigators said. The girl used her phone to take a photo of the stickers and hidden iPhone before leaving. Thompson then immediately returned to the bathroom.

The girl told her parents, and her father confronted Thompson, who locked himself in the bathroom with his iPhone three to five minutes before the plane’s descent, investigators said.

The minor’s parents also informed other flight attendants and the captain was informed. The captain then contacted the police on site.

When the plane landed, police said Thompson’s phone may have been reset to factory settings while he was locked in the bathroom.

A search of Thompson’s suitcase found 11 “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” stickers, investigators said. A search of his iCloud account reportedly revealed four additional instances between January and August 2023 in which Thompson recorded a minor while using the restroom on an airplane.

Those seen in the recordings were 7, 9, 11 and 14 years old at the time, investigators said. More than 50 images of an unaccompanied 9-year-old were also found in his report, including close-ups of her face as she slept in her seat.

Police also say they found “images of AI-generated child pornography” on Thompson’s iCloud account.

Thompson was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, and will remain in custody pending his first court appearance in Virginia. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, officials said.

“The deeply disturbing behavior alleged here is something no parent or child should ever have to worry about when traveling,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement.

‘Mr. Thompson allegedly used his position to rob and secretly capture innocent children, including unaccompanied minors.”

American Airlines said in a statement that it takes the accusation very seriously. They also said the flight attendant was “immediately excluded from duty following the incident in September 2023” and has not worked since.

“They do not reflect our airline or our core mission of caring for people,” the statement read. “We have fully cooperated with law enforcement authorities in the investigation because nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and team.”

No phone number could be found for Thompson and it was unclear whether he has an attorney.

All child victims involved in the case have been identified and their families have been contacted by police, Levy said.

An attorney representing the 14-year-old’s relatives, who have said they are suing the airline, said he is pleased an arrest has been made.

“It is also shocking to learn that he allegedly assaulted at least five minors while flying on American,” Paul Llewellyn said in a statement. “It remains to be seen whether American Airlines will finally take some measure of responsibility.”

Investigators also said hundreds of AI-generated images of child sexual abuse were also stored on Thompson’s iCloud account.

The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children carries a prison sentence of a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years. The charge of possession of child sexual abuse material depicting a prepubescent minor carries a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years. Both charges also provide for life on supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution.