Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Family says 14-year-old daughter discovered iPhone taped to back of toilet seat on flight to Boston

The family of a 14-year-old girl who allegedly discovered an iPhone taped to the back of a toilet seat on a recent flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston said they believe she was targeted by a member of the crew

Via AP news wire
Tuesday 19 September 2023 16:43 BST
Airplane Bathroom Camera
Airplane Bathroom Camera (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The family of a 14-year-old girl who allegedly discovered an iPhone taped to the back of a toilet seat on a recent flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston said they believe she was targeted by a member of the crew.

During the Sept. 2 American Airlines flight 1441, the girl was told by a male member of the crew to use the first-class bathroom. The crew member entered just before 14-year-old, told her the seat was broken but not to worry about it and then re-entered the bathroom after she left, her family said in a written statement.

After using the toilet, the girl realized that a largely obscured iPhone had been affixed to the back of the toilet seat, apparently to record her. She took a picture of this with her own phone before leaving the bathroom.

“These events have left our daughter — and entire family — shocked and profoundly disturbed,” the family wrote in a statement.

Paul Llewellyn, a lawyer representing the family, said they have not yet filed a lawsuit.

Law enforcement officers met the plane at the gate after it landed. Massachusetts State Police escorted a flight attendant off the flight.

State police later deferred to the FBI as the primary investigating agency because the episode happened in the air, where the FBI has jurisdiction.

An FBI spokesperson did not comment at the time. An email to the FBI on Monday was not immediately returned.

American Airlines said in a statement after the incident that officials at the airlines “take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in