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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TCD) — A 36-year-old American Airways flight attendant faces expenses after allegedly taping a number of feminine minors, ages 7 via 14, in plane toilets with out their information.
In keeping with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Massachusetts, Estes Thompson III was working an American Airways flight from Charlotte to Boston on Sept. 2, 2023, when he was allegedly caught attempting to movie a 14-year-old feminine passenger within the plane rest room.
Halfway via the flight, the 14-year-old sufferer reportedly went to make use of the restroom. The rest room was in use, and after ready for a short while, Thompson allegedly approached her and escorted her to the first-class rest room, which was unoccupied. Thompson reportedly advised the sufferer he wanted to scrub his fingers and that the bathroom seat wanted restore, so he went in briefly earlier than her.
After Thompson exited the toilet, the lawyer’s workplace stated the 14-year-old woman entered and seen “purple stickers on the underside of the bathroom seat lid, which was within the open place.” The purple stickers reportedly acknowledged, “Inoperative Catering Gear” and “Take away from Service.” The phrase “Seat Damaged” was handwritten in black ink on one of many stickers, based on the lawyer’s workplace.
Prosecutors allege Thompson had his iPhone hid beneath the purple stickers able to document. Inside the rest room, the 14-year-old sufferer took an image of the stickers and Thompson’s cellphone together with her cellphone. After she left, Thompson reportedly re-entered instantly.
In keeping with the lawyer’s workplace, the woman advised her dad and mom in regards to the scenario and confirmed them the pictures. The dad and mom then reported the incident to different flight attendants, and the captain alerted regulation enforcement on the bottom.
The sufferer’s father allegedly confronted Thompson in regards to the matter, and Thompson “locked himself within the toilet together with his iPhone for 3 to 5 minutes previous to the flight’s descent.”
Legislation enforcement officers searched Thompson’s suitcase upon arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport and reportedly discovered 11 “Inoperative Catering Gear” stickers matching those discovered by the 14-year-old sufferer.
The lawyer’s workplace stated investigators searched Thompson’s iCloud account and located 4 separate cases between January and August 2023 by which Thompson recorded minors within the plane rest room. Thompson’s victims had been allegedly 7, 9, 11, and 14 years outdated on the time.
Officers additionally discovered over 50 further photos of a 9-year-old unaccompanied baby, together with pictures of her seated pre-flight and “close-ups of her face whereas sleeping.”
The lawyer’s workplace stated investigators situated a whole lot of photos of AI-generated baby pornography on Thompson’s iCloud account as properly.
Authorities have notified the minor victims’ households.
The FBI arrested Thompson in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Thursday, Jan. 18 on one depend of tried sexual exploitation of youngsters and one depend of possession of kid pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. He’ll seem in federal court docket in Boston at a later date however will stay in custody pending a court docket look within the Western District of Virginia.
In keeping with the lawyer’s workplace, Thompson faces a minimal of 15 years and as much as 30 years in jail for the cost of tried sexual exploitation of youngsters. The cost of possession of kid pornography depicting a prepubescent minor carries a minimal sentence of 5 years and as much as 20 years in jail. Moreover, Thompson should serve no less than 5 years and as much as a lifetime of supervised launch and pay a wonderful of as much as $250,000 and restitution for each expenses.
Performing United States Lawyer Joshua Levy stated in an announcement, “The deeply disturbing conduct alleged right here is one thing no father or mother or baby ought to ever have to fret about once they journey. Mr. Thompson allegedly used his place to prey on and surreptitiously document harmless kids, together with unaccompanied minors, whereas in a susceptible state aboard flights he was working.”
Jodi Cohen, Particular Agent in Cost of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, added, “What Mr. Thompson is accused of doing is disgraceful, and we consider, calculated, on condition that this alleged conduct occurred on no less than 5 flights.”
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