January 20, 2024
An American Airways flight attendant allegedly used a hid iPhone within the lavatory to file video.
American Airways flight attendant Estes Carter Thompson III is dealing with federal youngster pornography expenses after being accused of trying to secretly file a 14-year-old woman in an airplane restroom, based on CNN. Thompson, 36, was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Jan. 18, charged with tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and possession of kid pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.
Jodi Cohen, the particular agent answerable for FBI Boston, condemned the alleged actions, stating, “What Mr. Thompson is accused of doing is disgraceful, and we imagine, calculated, on condition that this alleged conduct occurred on a minimum of 5 flights.”
The incident occurred in September throughout a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston. Thompson is accused of directing the 14-year-old woman to make use of the first-class bathroom, the place he had allegedly hid his iPhone to file her. The woman found crimson stickers with inscriptions like “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” and “SEAT BROKEN” underneath the bathroom seat lid.
“It’s alleged that, beneath the crimson stickers, Thompson had hid his iPhone to file a video,” the discharge mentioned.
After taking footage of the stickers and the hid telephone, the woman reported the incident to her mother and father, who knowledgeable the flight attendants. The pilot was notified upon reaching Boston, and the woman’s father confronted Thompson, who locked himself within the restroom for a number of minutes. Police suspect he might have tried to erase proof from his telephone.
A subsequent search of Thompson’s suitcase revealed 11 stickers just like these discovered within the restroom. Moreover, police found 4 recordings on his iCloud account depicting minors between the ages of seven and 14 utilizing the aircraft’s restroom, together with photographs of a 9-year-old and pictures of kid pornography generated by synthetic intelligence.
After the incident, American Airways promptly withheld Thompson from service, stating, “We take these allegations very severely. They don’t mirror our airline or our core mission of caring for individuals. We’ve got been absolutely cooperating with legislation enforcement in its investigation, as there’s nothing extra vital than the protection and safety of our prospects and staff.”
Thompson will stay in custody till his court docket date within the Western District of Virginia and subsequently faces federal court docket in Boston. If convicted, he may withstand 30 years in jail for tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and as much as 20 years for possession of kid pornography depicting a prepubescent minor, with each expenses carrying the opportunity of supervised launch, fines as much as $250,000, and restitution.
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