The family of a nine-year-old girl filed a lawsuit Tuesday against American Airlines and flight attendant Estes Thompson. The lawsuit alleges he secretly filmed her on his phone in January when she used the lavatory on a flight from Austin, Texas, while on a trip to Disneyland in California.
Estes was previously arrested after he tried to do the same thing to a 14-year-old girl in September 2023 onboard a flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Boston Logan Airport.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Flight attendant arrested for allegedly having hidden cameras in bathrooms, recording young girls
- American Airlines asks judge to dismiss lawsuit over hidden camera in bathroom
Tuesday’s lawsuit alleges Thompson went in the bathroom before the nine-year-old girl and told her “he needed to clean up a mess.” Thompson went into the bathroom and then left. The girl went in afterward, the lawsuit alleges.
He then recorded her when she was using the bathroom, the lawsuit alleges.
Months later, the FBI went to the family’s home to inform them of the crime.
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The family of the Charlotte teen also filed a federal lawsuit against American Airlines and Thompson. Attorneys for the airline asked for the January filing to be dismissed saying, “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.”
Thompson is alleged to have images from four different incidents on his iCloud account from January 2023 to August 2023, federal authorities said. The victims were seven, nine, 11, and 14 years old at the time.
Thompson has been arrested and remains in federal custody.
VIDEO: Family sues American Airlines after daughter finds camera in plane bathroom
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