A lawsuit has been filed after 9-year-old girl was secretly filmed in the toilet of American Airlines plane by one of its male crew members. But what is more concerning is the reaction against the lawsuit by the airline which blamed the victim saying that she should have been aware of the hidden recording cameras.
The “shameful and outrageous” comment has led to a sharp criticism against the airline.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, was arrested in January for recording four underage girls, aged 7, 9, 11, and 14, during multiple American Airlines flights.
After the incident came to light, the airline suspended the flight attendant.
After searching Thompson's devices and iCloud, the FBI then found other victims, including the nine-year-old from Texas, reported the Daily Mail.
AI-generated pornography was also found on the accused’s devices. "It felt like we were living in a nightmare when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) showed up on our doorstep 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," the nine-year-old girl's family was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
But instead of supporting the girls, the airline completely isolated itself and denied taking any responsibility.
"Defendant would show that any injuries or illnesses alleged to have been sustained by Plaintiff, Mary Doe, were proximately caused by Plaintiff’s own fault and negligence, were proximately caused by Plaintiff’s use of the compromised lavatory, which she knew or should have known contained a visible and illuminated recording device," the legal defence of American Airlines said, blaming the 9-year-old girl for the incident.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Caroline Recupero, explained the defence, "American Airlines is blaming a 9-year-old-girl for being filmed by an American Airlines flight attendant, arguing the child knew or should have known that the airplane toilet contained a recording device. Our firm believes this assertion is shameful and outrageous.