The Riverside County District Attorney's Office said in a statement today that a California-based educator has been charged with 16 felony counts of sex abuse on children. The charges obviously were spurred from a YouTube video made by one of the victims, who is a former student of the accused.
The local DA's officer said that Andrea Michelle Cardosa was charged with 11 counts of lewd acts on a child and five counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child. CNN said Cardosa was arrested on Monday evening by deputies of the county sheriff and expects that she will be arraigned on Thursday. The news outlet said Cardosa could go to jail if convicted of some or all of the charges.
In a written statement, Cardosa's legal representative, Randy Collins, expressed his concerns over the portrayal of his client on social media on the basis of the YouTube video. He said, "(It would be my task) to see that justice prevails in the midst of the media wildfire. Fortunately, our justice system requires more than a YouTube video to determine the facts of a case. As we proceed, I am certain that evidence will shed new light on all charges filed by the D.A.'s office against my client."
The YouTube video of a woman who contacted her abuser over the phone went viral, CNN said. The YouTube video showed "Jamie" calling up her middle school teacher and asks confirmation of the teacher's sexual acts made on her. The woman said in the caption linked to the controversial video said that she needed to expose the teacher as she could no longer pursue legal means for her abuser to pay for the misdeeds. Moreover, "Jamie" said she intends to pursue justice for other potential victims who have yet to find the courage to speak up about the sexual abuse at the hands of the teacher.
Cardosa, who reportedly was on the other end of the phone conversation with "Jamie" in the video, admitted to her wrongdoing.
The legal representative of "Jamie," David Ring, 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."
Following the upload on YouTube, CNN quoted the school district, which said that Cardosa resigned from her post as Alhambra High School administrator in Southern California on January 17.
A second victim reportedly of Cardosa's had filed a separate complaint against the Val Verde Unified School District in Perris, California due to the school's negligence of Cardosa's actions on the victim.
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