A family from Austin has launched a lawsuit against American Airlines and one of their flight attendants, accusing him of secretly filming their daughter in an airplane bathroom during a flight out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, faces criminal charges in a federal court for possession of pornography depicting a prepubescent minor and attempted child exploitation. CBS Austin reported that the lawsuit filed in Travis County district court seeks damages after allegations of multiple instances of illicit recording emerged.
According to the lawsuit, the young girl was traveling to a gymnastic competition and a visit to Disneyland. Paul Llewellyn, the lead attorney on the case, has pointed fingers at American Airlines, claiming that "They are absolutely responsible for this," he told in an interview with CBS Austin. The allegations of misconduct concern another young girl from Austin, who was reportedly recorded by Thompson during a flight. "This wasn’t a one-off occurrence," Llewellyn said, stressing that the airline should have been aware of the risk posed by their employee.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston office is spearheading the investigation, with Thompson being arrested after trying to record a 14-year-old on a flight from North Carolina to Boston. The same flight attendant is accused of directing a 9-year-old girl to wait for the lavatory, claiming to need to "clean up a mess" before her. The Dallas Morning News reported that still images and videos of this incident were also found on Thompson's iCloud.
Thompson, who previously faced an arrest, is charged with attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. These charges could lead to substantial prison time, supervised release, and hefty fines. Llewellyn emphasized the gravity of the case, noting, "We don’t know what happened to the images, evermore, there’s a risk that these images are now out there." Despite multiple requests, American Airlines has not immediately responded to requests for comment on the latest allegations.
The legal action has underscored the emotional toll on the young victims and their families. One family spoke out about the effects of the trauma on their daughter, expressing the lingering fear and anxiety that have plagued her since the discovery of the crime. "It felt like we were living in a nightmare when the FBI showed up on our doorstep," the family said in a statement obtained by The Dallas Morning News. Llewellyn hopes that this case will prompt American Airlines "to take responsibility for their complete failure to protect these children."
