A father traveling with his 13-year-old daughter says he was wrongly suspected of human trafficking by flight attendants

• Francisco De Jesus told King 5 News that the cabin crew wrongly suspected him of human trafficking.
• He was traveling with his 13-year-old daughter when security stopped him.

A father said airport security stopped him after flight attendants suspected him of human trafficking.

Francisco De Jesus told King 5 News he was flying with his 13-year-old daughter from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this month.

While he was using the plane's restroom, he said flight attendants gave his daughter wings and asked if she was OK, where she was going, and who she was going to meet.

After the flight landed in Charlotte, De Jesus told King 5 that personnel, including the airport's head of security, met them after they deplaned.

He said he was told that flight attendants were trained to look for the signs of human trafficking: "At that point, my heart just sank."

However, De Jesus said the airport security staff "saw the situation for what it was immediately" after answering a few questions and was allowed on his way.

The passenger told the outlet that he contacted American Airlines for an explanation but didn't receive a response at first.

"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," De Jesus told King 5.

An American Airlines representative told the outlet: "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."

The airline had also contacted De Jesus by Friday, King 5 reported.

American Airlines didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider made outside normal working hours.