Joshua S. Levy, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
A former flight attendant for American Airlines has admitted to recording or attempting to record a minor using the lavatory on an aircraft. Estes Carter Thompson III, aged 37 and from Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick has scheduled his sentencing for June 17, 2025.
The incident occurred on September 2, 2023, during a flight from Charlotte to Boston. Thompson allegedly recorded a 14-year-old female passenger in the lavatory by concealing his iPhone under stickers marked "INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT" and "REMOVE FROM SERVICE." The victim noticed these stickers upon entering the lavatory and informed her parents after returning to her seat.
Following this confrontation with the victim's father, Thompson locked himself in the lavatory before restoring his iPhone to factory settings upon landing at Logan Airport in Boston. Law enforcement found additional evidence in Thompson’s suitcase and iCloud account, including recordings of four other minors using aircraft lavatories between January and August 2023.
Authorities have identified all involved minors and contacted their families. The charges against Thompson carry potential sentences ranging from at least 15 years up to life imprisonment for attempted sexual exploitation of children and up to 20 years for possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the case alongside Jodi Cohen from the FBI's Boston Division and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum is prosecuting.
This case forms part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.
