02.04.2014
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California educator accused on YouTube of sexual abuse charged with 16 felonies
(CNN) -- A California educator who authorities say is the person accused in a YouTube video of sexual abuse by a former student was charged Monday with 16 felony counts of child sex abuse, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said.
Andrea Michelle Cardosa was charged with five counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child and 11 counts of lewd acts on a child, the DA’s office said.
Cardosa was arrested Monday evening by sheriff’s deputies and is expected to be arraigned Thursday. She faces possible life in prison if convicted of the aggravated sexual assault charges.
Cardosa’s lawyer, Randy Collins, declined to comment on the charges Monday night.
“We are planning on following up on the case by challenging the filing against the statute of limitations and challenging the bail motion to reduce the bail amount,” he said, referring to bail that was set at $5 million.
Two women have come forward in connection with the case. The first woman, now 28, posted a YouTube video in which she accused the educator of abusing her at age 12.
The second alleged victim, now 18, has filed a complaint accusing the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris, California, of negligence.
David Ring, lawyer for the older woman, said, “She is very gratified that the DA has brought charges against this perpetrator. She hopes justice is done in the criminal case and that Cardosa admits to what she’s done, which she already admitted to in the phone call—that she ruined her childhood.”
Cardosa resigned January 17 from her most recent job as an administrator at Alhambra High School in Southern California after the first accusation was uploaded on YouTube, according to the school district.
The video features the alleged victim on camera and what is said to be the teacher’s voice on a phone conversation. In the video, the teacher can be heard acknowledging the abuse claim.
The first alleged victim said the abuse took place “off and on” for her between the ages of 12 and 18. She said she didn’t come forward as a teenager because the teacher had brainwashed her.
“She told me that my family didn’t love me. She told me that nobody cared about me and that she was the only one that loved me and the only one that was there for me,” she said. “She made me believe that she was my only friend, and that I could trust her.”
The alleged victim said she didn’t want a physical relationship, but she said the teacher threatened her multiple times.
“She said that she would kill herself if I ever left. And I believed that,” the alleged victim said.
CNN first learned of Monday’s charges on Twitter.
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