A family has alleged that a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight installed a hidden camera in an airplane bathroom intending to spy on a teenage girl.
The incident purportedly occurred on a September 2 flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston Logan International Airport. The 14-year-old girl was advised by the male flight attendant to use the first-class bathroom to avoid the queue in the coach section.
Upon reaching the restroom, she was briefly halted by the same flight attendant who claimed to need to wash his hands before the garbage collection began. The attendant reportedly informed her that the seat was broken following a minute-long stay in the bathroom.
Once inside, the teen discovered a phone propped up with tape; its light was active, indicating potential filming. She photographed the setup before exiting the restroom, after which the attendant reentered.
Upon returning to her seat, she notified her mother, who alerted another passenger intending to use the restroom about the suspected hidden camera. Despite the traumatic event, the family stressed in a statement distributed by their legal representatives at Lewis and Llewellyn LLP that it took till September 16 without any outreach from American Airlines.
In the detailed statement, the family expressed their deep shock and disturbance over their daughter’s victimization by someone tasked with ensuring the passengers’ safety. They praised their daughter’s bravery in capturing evidence of the device, which had features matching those on the flight attendant’s phone seized later by authorities.
The family thanked the Massachusetts State Police, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their ongoing investigation, urging measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Drawing attention to the alarming rates of child abuse in the U.S., with one in nine girls and one in 20 boys under 18 falling victim to such crimes, family attorney Paul Llewellyn insisted on the necessity of preventing such “outrageous acts.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for American Airlines assured their commitment to cooperating fully with the investigation, emphasizing their priority for safety and security. They confirmed that law enforcement met the flight upon arrival, taking the matter seriously as the investigation unfolds.
