A father traveling with his 13-year-old daughter was shocked when he learned flight attendants accused him of trafficking his child. Francisco De Jesus told KING 5 the incident happened a couple of weeks ago on an American Airlines flight flying from Seattle to Charlotte, North Carolina.
"We were going to go celebrate my oldest daughter's graduation. You know, I mean, it was a happy time,” De Jesus said. During the flight, the father said he went to the bathroom and returned to find his daughter with some food.
"My daughter had some wings. I was like, ‘Oh, where did you get those from,'” he recounted, learning that a flight attendant came over to ask the teen several questions. The employee reportedly asked his daughter if she was okay, where she was going, and who was she going to meet.
The father didn't think too much of it until they landed, and he came face-to-face with Charlotte International Airport's security personnel.
"As we're deplaning, we're greeted by several individuals. One of them who introduced himself as the head of security for the Charlotte International Airport,” De Jesus said.
He and his terrified daughter were reportedly escorted across the terminal before they found out what was happening. Authorities told De Jesus that flight attendants, who are trained to spot signs of human trafficking, thought his daughter was a victim. Luckily, De Jesus was able to speak with law enforcement and quickly resolve the issue.
"At that point, my heart just sank," the father said, adding that officials immediately understood the situation. "My question that I would like to have answered is how did they get to label me as a human trafficker? I had my iPad; we were watching a movie. She had her phone. I mean, these are things that I thought a dad and a daughter traveling do."
Following the incident, De Jesus tried contacting American Airlines but got "absolutely nothing from them." KING 5 reached out to the company on Friday (May 12), and they received an emailed statement from the airline:
"Our frontline team members are trained to navigate a variety of safety issues, including recognizing the potential signs of human trafficking. We strive to create a positive, welcoming environment for everyone who travels with us and apologize for any misunderstanding that may have occurred."
That same day, De Jesus told reporters American Airlines called him. No word on how the conversation went or what will happen after the incident.