Furious father confronted flight attendant after he ‘secretly recorded 14-year-old daughter in American Airlines flight bathroom’ and ‘saw color drain out of his face’ – leading to ‘kerfuffle’ on board before crew member was arrested

The father of a 14-year-old girl who was secretly filmed in a plane bathroom confronted the male flight attendant accused of making the video.

Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, was arrested Thursday for allegedly trying to secretly record the teenage passenger as she used the bathroom on the flight he was working on last September. She noticed a phone taped to the toilet and alerted her parents.

The girl’s father “then ran into the back of the plane and there was quite a commotion there,” said attorney John Buric, who represented the victim. told Newsnation.

“The father of Minor A then contacted Thompson directly and demanded to see his phone,” reads the affidavit filed against the supervisor.

“He saw the color drain from Thompson’s face. Thompson responded that he did not know what Minor A’s father was talking about,” the statement continues.

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

Attorney John Buric, who represented the victim, described how the girl’s father confronted the counselor

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.

“The FBI did a great job of investigating what they needed and executing their arrest warrants and were able to find out a lot of information that obviously we can’t find out yet, but they’re very happy that this man is where he needs to be. orphan,” Buric said Friday.

“They hope he stays there while these charges are pending,” he added.

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.

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 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.