American Airlines has been accused of blaming two underage girls for being filmed in the plane’s bathroom by a flight attendant.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, was arrested in January after he allegedly recorded four underage girls (ages 7, 9, 11 and 14) while using the bathroom aboard several AA flights.
In its response to a lawsuit filed by the nine-year-old boy’s family, American Airlines presented several defenses, including that they are not liable due to “the doctrine of comparative negligence, contributory negligence, comparative liability and/or comparative causation.”
AA’s legal defense continues: ‘Accused would demonstrate that any injury or illness allegedly suffered by the plaintiff, Mary Doe, was caused approximately by the fault and negligence of the plaintiff, was caused approximately by the plaintiff’s use of the compromised bathroom, which she knew or should have known contained a visible bathroom and illuminated recording device.’
Explaining the defense in plain language, the plaintiff’s attorney, Caroline Recupero, said: “In other words, American Airlines blames a 9-year-old girl for being filmed by an American Airlines flight attendant, arguing that the girl knew or “I should have known that.” There was a recording device in the plane’s bathroom.
“Our company’s position is that this claim is both disgraceful and absolutely scandalous.”
Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, was arrested in January after he allegedly recorded a total of four underage girls – ages 7, 9, 11 and 14 – while using the bathroom aboard several AA flights.
He added: “Our company’s position is that this claim is both disgraceful and absolutely scandalous.”
In the lawsuit, the girl’s parents claim that Thompson took images of the girl in January 2023, while she was using the bathroom on the flight headed to Los Angeles. The girl and her family were headed to Disney World and a gymnastics competition.
The images, recovered from Thompson’s iCloud by the FBI, showed the girl’s face, buttocks and genitals, according to the complaint.
DailyMail.com has contacted American Airlines for comment on this story.
Thompson was arrested after a 14-year-old girl told her family about the camera in the airplane bathroom.
The FBI then found other victims, including the nine-year-old boy from Texas, after searching his devices and iCloud, as well as AI-generated pornography.
“It seemed like we were living a nightmare when the FBI showed up at our door to tell us that our daughter had been secretly filmed by an American Airlines flight attendant. Since then, our daughter has struggled with fear and anxiety,” her family said. the nine-year-old girl to DailyMail.com in a statement.
‘We are doing everything we can to support her during this traumatic time. An important part of our family’s recovery is making sure the flight attendant and American Airlines are held accountable for what happened to our daughter. “We hope this lawsuit is the first step in ensuring nothing like this happens to another family.”
The teen, 14, walked into the bathroom and saw red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid that read: “CATERING EQUIPMENT INOPERATIVE,” “REMOVE FROM SERVICE” and “BROKEN SEAT” handwritten in ink. black on one of the stickers.
Investigators said that about halfway through the Sept. 2, 2023, flight from Charlotte to Boston, the 14-year-old got up to use the main cabin bathroom closest to her seat, but found it was occupied.
Thompson then told her the first-class bathroom was unoccupied and walked her there, investigators said. Before entering the bathroom, Ella Thompson allegedly told him that she needed to wash her hands and that her toilet seat was broken.
After leaving, the teen entered the bathroom and saw red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, that read: “CATERING EQUIPMENT INOPERATIVE,” “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN.” “handwritten in black. ink on one of the stickers, according to court documents.
Under the stickers, Thompson had hidden his iPhone to record a video, investigators said. The girl used her phone to take a photo of the stickers and hid the iPhone before leaving. Thompson immediately returned to the bathroom.
The girl told her parents, and her father confronted Thompson, who locked himself in the bathroom with his iPhone for three to five minutes before the flight deplaned, investigators said.
The minor’s parents also informed other flight attendants and the captain was notified. The captain then contacted law enforcement authorities on the ground.
When the flight landed, police said Thompson’s phone may have been restored to factory settings while he was locked in the bathroom.
A search of Thompson’s suitcase found 11 stickers reading ‘INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT,’ investigators said. A search of his iCloud account allegedly revealed four additional cases between January and August 2023 in which Thompson recorded a minor using an airplane bathroom.
In the lawsuit, the parents of the nine-year-old girl claim that Thompson took images of the girl in January 2023, while she was using the bathroom on the flight headed to Los Angeles (file photo).
American Airlines issued a statement saying they take the allegation very seriously. They also said the flight attendant was “immediately removed from service following the September 2023 incident” and she has not worked since.
“They do not reflect our airline or our core mission of caring for people,” the statement read. “We have been cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation, as there is nothing more important than the safety of our customers and our team.”