Who is Estes Carter Thompson III? Flight Attendant Who Filmed Minors in Aircraft Lavatory Sentenced to 18.5 Years

A former American Airlines flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, was sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison. He used his job to secretly record young girls in airplane bathrooms. The judge also gave him five years of supervised release.

Thompson, 38, is from Charlotte, North Carolina. He admitted guilt in March 2025. He pleaded guilty to trying to exploit minors and owning illegal videos involving children.

What Happened

On September 2, 2023, Thompson was working on a flight from Charlotte to Boston. He told a 14-year-old girl to use a specific bathroom in the first-class area. He said the back lavatory was broken.

Before she entered, Thompson went in alone and placed his iPhone under the toilet lid. He used red “INOPERATIVE EQUIPMENT” stickers to hold the phone in place. The phone’s flashlight was on, and it was recording.

The girl saw the phone and took a picture. She told her parents. Her father confronted Thompson on the plane. Thompson then locked himself in the lavatory and reset his phone, deleting everything.

When the plane landed in Boston, officers checked his bag. They found 11 more stickers like the ones used to hide the phone. That helped police link him to more flights and more victims.

More Victims Discovered

Federal investigators later searched Thompson’s iCloud account. They found videos of four more girls, aged 6 to 14. These recordings were taken on flights across several cities:

• Charlotte to Denver

• Charlotte to Kansas City

• Orlando to Charlotte

• Austin to Los Angeles

Each video showed minors using the bathroom. Thompson had also saved hundreds of screenshots from two of the videos.

In another case, he took photos of a 9-year-old girl traveling alone. The images showed her sleeping and walking off the plane. Many of them focused on her body, even though she was fully dressed.

They also found hundreds of AI-made images that showed harmful child content.

How He Was Caught

The brave 14-year-old girl who saw the phone helped stop Thompson’s actions. Her report led to a deep investigation.

When the plane landed, Massachusetts State Police helped secure the phone and get evidence. The FBI and federal agents worked fast to protect other children.

What Officials Said

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said Thompson abused the trust people place in airline staff. His actions hurt the five children deeply.

FBI Agent Ted E. Docks praised the girl for her courage. He said her bravery prevented more harm.

Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the State Police said officers acted quickly at Logan Airport. He also praised the girl’s parents for teaching her to speak up when something felt wrong.

Airline and Legal Update

Thompson no longer works for American Airlines. The company said he was removed from duty right after the first report.

A civil lawsuit is also in progress. One family is suing American Airlines in Texas, claiming it failed to protect passengers. The airline’s lawyers first blamed the victim but later apologized.

Sentence and Future Steps

Thompson apologized in court. He called his own actions wrong and selfish. The court ordered 18.5 years in prison at FMC Butner, a facility in North Carolina. He must also receive treatment.

The investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood, a national program that fights crimes against children.