2nd lawsuit filed against American Airlines flight attendant after child recorded

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – A second lawsuit has been filed against a Charlotte American Airlines flight attendant accused of secretly recording underage girls using airplane bathrooms, as well as the airline itself.

Estes Carter Thompson III was arrested last month after a September incident where a 14-year-old found a hidden iPhone he allegedly used to record the girls. He was charged with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.

[Previous coverage: Teen discovers hidden camera in airplane bathroom after taking off in Charlotte]

That incident kicked off an investigation that uncovered photos of three other juveniles as well as hundreds of AI-generated child sexual abuse materials.

The family of the 14-year-old filed the first lawsuit in December 2023. According to the family, American “knew or should have known the flight attendant was a danger.”

[Previous coverage: The family of a teenage girl who says she discovered a camera in an airplane bathroom is suing American Airlines]

The second lawsuit comes from the family of a 9-year-old – referred to in the lawsuit as Mary Doe – who was recorded on a flight from Texas to Los Angeles in January 2023, according to a petition filed in court.

Thompson allegedly stopped the child from entering the airplane bathroom to “clean up a mess” before she used it. The lawsuit states he went inside and closed the door.

About a year later, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents visited the family’s home to inform them that images and videos of the child’s face and unclothed body had been found on Thompson’s iCloud account.

The child was then asked about the incident to aid in his arrest.

[Previous coverage: Charlotte flight attendant arrested after teen finds hidden camera in airplane bathroom]

Since then, the lawsuit alleges the child has shown symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is worried about other bathrooms having video cameras, has nightmares and insomnia, and that these effects have impacted her ability to focus in school.

The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of American Airlines for failing to ensure the child’s safety by, among other things, not noticing Thompson’s “strange behavior,” and maintaining his employment.

The lawsuit also claims that other employees had complained about inappropriate sexual conduct before filming the child, and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had previously stopped him for possession of inappropriate material and/or for inappropriate sexual conduct.

“Upon information and belief, American Airlines negligently supervised Defendant Thompson by, among other things, failing to adequately investigate reports of his inappropriate behavior, failing to report that behavior to law enforcement if appropriate, and failing to take appropriate steps to increase supervision and observation of Defendant Thompson upon becoming aware of his inappropriate behavior,” the lawsuit reads in part.

The family is requesting a jury trial and $1 million.

WBTV has reached out to see if he is still an employee of American Airlines.

American Airlines withheld Thompson from service after his arrest in September and, as of January, has not worked since.

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