A clearly guilty former flight attendant has today been sentenced to 18.5 years in prison. In addition to these counts, she pleaded guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse images. Estes Carter Thompson III, 39, was to be sentenced Wednesday. He was prosecuted and convicted in Boston’s U.S. District Court on multiple counts for unobtrusively videotaping underage girls in a commercial airline lavatory.
Last year, Thompson’s grave misconduct was enumerated in his indictment. These were supplemented by one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count for possession of child sexual abuse images. The images at issue were of prepubescent minors, emphasizing the heinousness of his crimes.
Thompson, who is in jail awaiting sentencing, apologized in court, calling his actions “selfish, perverse and wrong.” He expressed regret towards victims and their families during the court proceedings discussing directly how his actions altered the lives of those he offended.
Notably, Judge Julia Kobick, who presided over the case, called Thompson’s actions “appalling.” She stressed the permanent toll his behavior took on the victims. Their innocence was taken from them—never to return—due to the serious nature of his crimes.
“He robbed five young girls of their innocence and belief in the goodness of the world and the people they would encounter in it, instead leaving them with fear, mistrust, insecurity, and sadness.” – US government attorneys
This case has received an unusual amount of public attention. It shines a new light on grave derelictions of duty toward protecting our children from the dangers in public spaces, including air travel. Thompson’s actions have led to provocative and important discussions. People are right to demand better protection of minors from predatory exploitation.
