American Airlines is facing intense criticism after court documents revealed that their lawyers defended a former flight attendant accused of secretly recording young girls in an airplane bathroom by suggesting a 9-year-old victim “should have known” about the hidden camera, according to a new report from Fox News.
The case involves Estes Carter Thompson III, a 37-year-old ex-flight attendant who allegedly recorded girls aged 7 to 14 over a seven-month period in 2023.
Prosecutors say Thompson hid a camera under the toilet seat, capturing explicit images of the unsuspecting victims.
The victim’s family lawyer, Paul Llewellyn, expressed shock at the airline’s defense, telling Fox News Digital, “I cannot even envision a world where it is appropriate to point to a 9-year-old and say, ‘It’s not our fault. This is your fault.'”
The family, who filed a civil lawsuit against American Airlines and Thompson, were “absolutely appalled” by the airline’s legal stance.
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The incident was discovered when a 14-year-old victim found a phone with a flashing camera hidden beneath the toilet seat, covered with tape and a “SEAT BROKEN” sign.
Amid growing public outrage, American Airlines issued a statement acknowledging the error in their legal defense, saying, “The included defense is not representative of our airline, and we have directed it be amended this morning.”
JUST IN: American Airlines says their legal filing where they blamed a 9-year-old girl for getting filmed in a plane bathroom, was "an error."
How do you 'accidentally' blame a 9-year-old for getting filmed on a plane?
In a legal filing this week, American Airlines said it was… pic.twitter.com/zQDEN1Zx6q
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 22, 2024
However, the damage to the victims and their families has already been done.
Both the 9-year-old and 14-year-old girls are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with the civil lawsuit alleging the younger girl has been struggling with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and nightmares.
Thompson faces serious federal charges, including attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse images.
If convicted, he could face 15 to 30 years in prison for the exploitation charges and up to 20 years for possessing the abusive images.
American Airlines’ initial legal defense has not only re-traumatized the young victims but has also raised questions about the airline’s commitment to passenger safety and well-being.
