In late July, a judge sentenced former American Airlines flight attendant Estes Carter Thompson III regarding charges related to child sexual exploitation and possession of sexually explicit content involving a minor.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Massachusetts announced the sentencing news. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick sentenced Thompson to 18.5 years in prison for his crimes. After serving his sentence, the 38-year-old will face five years of supervised release.
During a September 2023 flight between Charlotte and Boston, a 14-year-old girl discovered a phone taped to the underside of an airplane lavatory’s toilet seat. Evidence photos revealed the phone’s flash and camera exposed by the toilet hinge. Tape covered the rest of the phone and secured it to the underside of the toilet seat. Authorities believe Thompson set up the camera to record “specifically before” the young teen entered the bathroom. They allege Thompson then went and retrieved the device directly after the girl exited the restroom.
The girl told her parents – who were also on the flight – about the lavatory occurrence. Thompson allegedly locked himself in the plane’s bathroom and wiped all content from his phone after the girl’s father confronted him and other members of the flight crew. In Boston, officials discovered Thompson’s luggage held 11 stickers identical to those used on the phone.
Ted E. Docks, head of the FBI’s Boston Division, condemned Thompson and praised the 14-year-old who exposed him.
“Estes Carter Thompson thought he had a no-fail plan to sexually exploit children for his own gratification, until a brave 14-year-old girl thwarted his plan, and worked with us to put an end to his deviant behavior,” noted Docks. “This flight attendant’s disgraceful actions robbed five young girls of their innocence and caused significant pain and trauma that will likely be felt by these victims and their families for years to come. No sentence can ever make up for that but know the FBI and our partners are committed to protecting our most vulnerable from predators like him.”
What Else Is There To Know About Estes Carter Thompson III’s Case?
The former American Airlines flight attendant‘s iCloud account reportedly included disturbing evidence. The authorities say it contained recordings of other girls, as young as six, using the bathroom during flights.
“Each of the videos appeared to be taken in a similar fashion, in which Thompson attached his iPhone to a spot above a toilet seat and at an angle that captured the minor victims’ genitalia as they used the lavatory. For two of the videos, Thompson was found to have taken and stored 272 screenshots and 98 screenshots, respectively,” the attorney’s office detailed.
Also, there were allegedly over 50 photos of an unaccompanied minor, 9, while she slept on the plane, and of her rear while she deboarded. Authorities further claimed that Thompson’s iCloud harbored “hundreds of AI-generated images depicting child sexual abuse.”
Attorney Leah B. Foley claimed Thompson abused his role as a flight attendant to take advantage of and subsequently traumatize young girls.
“Mr. Thompson took advantage of his position of trust as a flight attendant to exploit innocent children – directing them to an aircraft bathroom he had set up to record them and then revisiting those videos for his own sexual gratification. In so doing, he shattered five children’s sense of safety and trust in the world around them, leaving them instead with fear, mistrust, insecurity, and sadness,” said Foley. “It is our hope that this sentence provides at least some space for the victims and their families to heal.”
Authorities have identified all the minors Thompson victimized. Law enforcement has also reached out to their families.
