FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) has reached a confidential settlement with the family of an 11 year old girl who was secretly filmed on flight AA 2080 from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in August 2023.
The agreement follows a negligence lawsuit against the airline and the criminal prosecution of former flight attendant Estes Carter Thompson III, who received an 18-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence in July 2025. The settlement remains subject to court approval.
Negligence Claims Against American Airlines
The family of the girl sued American Airlines after learning that Thompson had secretly recorded her using an aircraft bathroom during the flight home from a family trip to Disney World in Orlando.
The family alleged that the airline should have known Thompson was engaging in improper behavior on its flights and accused the carrier of negligence.
The incident occurred in August 2023, but the girl and her parents did not initially know she had been filmed.
They learned about the recording 2 months later, when FBI agents visited their home in October 2023 and showed the parents photographs recovered from Thompson’s iPhone. The images included their daughter’s face, unclothed b*ttocks and genitalia.
The family filed its civil lawsuit in a North Carolina federal court, seeking to hold American Airlines responsible for the circumstances surrounding the incident. The case had been scheduled for a jury trial in January 2027.
On October 19, 2026, the parties jointly asked the court to approve a confidential settlement covering the family’s claims. The proposed agreement does not disclose the settlement amount or other financial terms.
The motion states that the girl’s parents, identified in court documents as John and Mary Doe, carefully considered the offer and believed it was reasonable, proper and in their daughter’s best interests. They also stated that the agreement adequately protected the minor’s interests.
The court has not yet formally approved the settlement. Until approval, the agreement remains subject to the court’s review. PYOK reported the settlement and the contents of the joint court filing.
In its response to the family’s lawsuit, American Airlines denied that it was an actual or proximate cause of the girl’s injuries.
The airline also argued that it was not legally responsible for intentional or criminal acts by an employee and said it did not know Thompson would engage in the conduct described in the complaint.
The settlement would resolve the family’s civil claims against the airline if approved. It does not change Thompson’s criminal conviction or prison sentence.
FBI Investigation Uncovered Secret Recordings of Minors
The investigation expanded after Thompson was caught attempting to secretly record another girl on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in September 2023.
The 14 year old passenger was waiting to use a bathroom toward the back of the aircraft when Thompson approached her. He told her she could use the First Class bathroom at the front and led her down the aisle.
When they reached the First Class lavatory, Thompson said he needed to wash his hands first. He entered the bathroom, closed the door and emerged moments later.
After entering, the girl noticed a large sticker reading “defective catering equipment” attached to the lavatory seat. The placement appeared suspicious, prompting her to inspect it more closely.
She then discovered an iPhone positioned behind the sticker, with its camera peeking out. She immediately alerted her parents, who confronted Thompson about the hidden recording device.
After the confrontation, Thompson hid inside the bathroom and attempted to delete evidence from his phone. However, investigators later recovered photographs and videos that remained in his iCloud storage account.
The recovered material included images of children aged 7, 9, 11 and 14 using aircraft bathrooms. Investigators also found more than 50 photographs involving a 9-year-old unaccompanied minor in the same iCloud account.
One of the recovered photographs depicted the 11-year-old girl during the August 2023 flight from Orlando to Charlotte. That evidence connected her case to the broader investigation into Thompson’s conduct on American Airlines flights.
Family Reported Lasting Emotional Harm
The FBI informed the girl’s parents about the photographs in October 2023. Investigators advised them to tell their daughter what had happened because she might later resent them if she discovered the truth independently.
After consulting a therapist, the parents explained the incident to their daughter. Learning that she had been secretly recorded left her deeply distressed, according to the family’s account in the legal proceedings.
The family described significant psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress disorder, stress and anxiety. The girl reportedly remained afraid of using public bathrooms and continued seeing a therapist 3 years after the August 2023 incident.
These continuing effects formed an important part of the family’s case against American Airlines. The lawsuit sought to establish whether the airline could be held responsible for negligence connected to Thompson’s conduct and the circumstances that allowed it to occur.
Former Flight Attendant Sentenced to 18+ Years in Prison
The civil lawsuit is separate from the federal criminal case against Thompson. In July 2025, he was sentenced to 18 years and 6 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to s*xual exploitation of children and possession of child p*rnography involving a prepubescent minor.
The criminal investigation uncovered recordings of several young girls using aircraft lavatories. Thompson’s sentencing followed the discovery of the hidden recording device and the evidence recovered from his electronic storage accounts.
After completing his prison sentence, Thompson will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a s*x offender. His release conditions include a prohibition on alcohol consumption, as many as 104 substance-abuse tests per year and regular polygraph examinations.
These restrictions will apply after his imprisonment ends. The criminal sentence remains separate from the confidential civil settlement involving the family of the 11-year-old girl.
What Happens Next?
The next step in the civil case is the court’s review of the proposed settlement. The parties have asked the court to approve the agreement, but its financial terms remain confidential and formal approval has not yet been granted.
If approved, the settlement would resolve the family’s claims against American Airlines without the scheduled January 2027 jury trial. Thompson’s federal sentence and supervised-release conditions will remain in effect independently of the civil proceedings.
The case highlights the legal distinction between an employee’s criminal responsibility and a separate claim alleging that an airline failed to meet its obligations to passengers.
The settlement addresses the family’s claims against the carrier, while the criminal case addresses Thompson’s individual conduct.
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