American Airlines asks judge to dismiss lawsuit over hidden camera in bathroom

CHARLOTTE — The allegations are disturbing. The Department of Justice says 36-year-old Estes Thompson directed a Charlotte girl to the first-class bathroom where she found his iPhone taped to the back of the toilet seat. After a months-long investigation, investigators say they found recordings of girls using the bathroom on other flights on Thomspon’s iCloud account and hundreds of images of AI-generated child pornography.

Last year, the family of the Charlotte 14-year-old filed a federal lawsuit against Thompson and American Airlines. In an interview with Channel 9 in December before any charges were filed, her father said his family was filing the lawsuit for accountability.

“Unfortunately, it seems like this is the only way that we can get any kind of accountability,” he said. “Which is just sad.”

In response to the lawsuit, American Airlines is fighting back and asking for it to be dismissed.

“The defendant is not liable for intentional acts or crimes of its employees where it did not know of a propensity or disposition to commit either,” attorneys for American Airlines said in their January 30 filing.

In response to the numerous claims made in the family’s lawsuit, attorneys for American Airlines used the same line dozens of times.

“This defendant lacks knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief about the truth of the allegations,” attorneys wrote.

Attorneys for the family of the 14-year-old girl downplayed the call from attorneys for American Airlines and called it “a standard boilerplate defense.”

A spokesperson for American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.

A federal judge will likely decide the case’s future in the coming weeks but no matter what happens, the criminal charges against Thompson still stand.

The 14-year-old’s father told Channel 9 last month, his family is determined to get justice.

“You don’t have any leverage at all when you’re on a plane in that position and that someone could take advantage of that position of authority over you and over your children and make something like this happen, is despicable,” he said.

Thompson will face his charges in Massachusetts. The September flight was from Charlotte to Boston.

(WATCH BELOW: Family sues American Airlines after daughter finds camera in plane bathroom)

Family sues American Airlines after daughter finds camera in plane bathroom

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