An American Airlines flight attendant was arrested Thursday after secretly filming a 14-year-old girl in the plane's bathroom.
The event occurred in early September on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston, Massachusetts.
Ester Carter Thompson III, 36, also took pictures of four other underage passengers, the New York Post reported.
The passenger got up to use the restroom in the main cabin near her seat, but it was occupied at the time, the New York tabloid said.
Mr Thompson then approached the passenger and told her that the first class toilets were open and that the problem had been discovered there.
“Mr. “Thompson allegedly used his position to exploit innocent children, including unaccompanied minors, and secretly film them,” a prosecutor said.
The flight attendant arrested in Lynchburg, Virginia, is charged with attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse images.
He remains in custody ahead of his initial appearance in Western District Court in Virginia before appearing in federal court in Boston at a later date.
The 30-year-old faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison, possible life of supervised release and a hefty fine of up to $250,000.