10 things about Charlotte, North Carolina’s Estes Thompson III

Estes Carter Thompson III is an American man from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The city is home to the Bank of America.

BIOGRAPHY

Thompson used to be a flight attendant. Here are 10 more things about him:

1. His father Estes Carter Thompson II is a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina.
2. He is a former American Airlines flight attendant.
3. Aside from Charlotte, he has lived in other parts of North Carolina including Raleigh.
4. He previously lived in Clarksville, Virginia, USA.
5. His granduncle Estes Carter Thompson turned 77 on July 17, 1980, died on June 20, 1981 in Anniston, Alabama, USA and was buried in Chatham, Virginia.
6. In 2023, he allegedly secretly filmed underage girls during American Airline flights.
7. In 2024, he was arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia and fired by American Airlines.
8. From 2024 to 2025, he was incarcerated in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority in Lynchburg.
9. In 2025, he pleaded guilty to filming an underage girl on a plane.
10. In May 2025, he turned 38.

TIMELINE

After Estes III’s arrest in 2024, a search of his iCloud account revealed four instances between January 2023 and August 2023 in which he recorded a minor using the lavatory on an aircraft. The victims were seven, nine, 11 and 14 years old when the videos were taken.

2023

• On January 26, 2023, he allegedly secretly filmed an underage girl during an American Airlines flight from Austin, Texas, USA to Los Angeles, California, USA.
• On July 9, 2023, he allegedly secretly filmed an underage girl during an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to San Antonio, Texas.
• On July 26, 2023, he allegedly secretly filmed an underage girl during an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
• On August 15, 2023, he allegedly secretly filmed an underage girl during an American Airlines flight from Orlando, Florida, USA to Charlotte.
• On August 23, 2023, he allegedly secretly filmed an underage girl during an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Denver, Colorado, USA.
• On September 2, 2023, he allegedly tried to film a female passenger, then 14, who was using the aircraft lavatory during an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

2024

• On January 18, 2024, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested him in Lynchburg. He was charged with attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. 
• On February 20, 2024, he agreed to voluntary confinement until trial during an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.

2025

• On March 6, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of images of child sexual abuse depicting a prepubescent minor.