AUSTIN, Texas — The American Airlines flight attendant accused of trying to secretly record a teen girl using an airplane bathroom says he's not guilty.
Estes Carter Thompson III was indicted on a count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and another count of possession of images of child sexual abuse depicting a prepubescent minor. Thompson pleaded not guilty to the two counts in a federal courtroom in Boston on Monday.
According to American Airlines, Thompson was "immediately withheld from service" following an incident in September 2023 involving a 14-year-old girl flying from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston, Massachusetts.
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Investigators said Thompson escorted the 14-year-old to a bathroom where the toilet seat was broken. The teen entered the bathroom and saw red stickers underneath the lid, with an iPhone concealed under the stickers to record a video. Investigators said the teen took a photo of the stickers and iPhone before leaving.
During their investigation, FBI agents allegedly found hundreds of images of child sexual abuse generated through artificial intelligence, along with images of other incidents involving young girls on other flights.
The material allegedly included footage of a 6-year-old girl on an August 2023 flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Denver; a 12-year-old girl on an August 2023 flight from Orlando, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina; a 14-year-old girl on a July 2023 flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Kansas City, Missouri; and a 9-year-old girl on a January 2023 flight from Austin to Los Angeles.
Following the Austin flight, the victim, who was referred to as "Mary Doe" in a lawsuit, said she remembered her alleged encounter with Thompson. Her family is suing for total costs, expenses and attorney fees of approximately $1 million. The lawsuit claims the FBI told Doe's parents that Thompson had inappropriate photos and videos of their daughter saved to his iCloud account after their encounter.
