One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Abuse allegations in YouTube video lead to charges
A woman calling herself "Jamie X" on YouTube posts a video in which she confronts a former teacher and claims she abused her when she was in middle school. The video spurred an investigation and led to the teacher, Andrea Cardosa, a former assistant principal at Alhambra High School, being arrested.
A former teacher and school administrator accused of sexual abuse in a YouTube video faces 16 felony counts of child abuse.
Riverside County prosecutors say the case against Andrea Cardosa began last month when 28-year-old Jamie Carrillo uploaded a video that showed her calling and confronting Cardosa, claiming the abuse began in middle school.
Cardosa, 40, who later resigned from her job as an assistant principal at Alhambra High School, was arrested Monday night shortly after she was charged with five counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child and 11 other counts of abuse involving two victims, Riverside County district attorney's spokesman John Hall told The Associated Press.
Hall told our media partner NBC4, "There are counts that carry potential life sentences. When you have counts that carry potential life sentences, there is no statute of limitations restriction on those."
But Cardosa's lawyer, Randy Collins, told KPCC that there are statute of limitations issues and will challenge her $5 million bail. Collins emailed KPCC the following statement:
Given Ms. Carrillo's very public claims of abuse it will be my obligation, as Ms. Cardosa's legal counsel, 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. On behalf of Ms. Cardosa, we are grateful for the outpouring of support from her family, friends, colleagues, and students during this difficult time.
"She was incredibly bothered by the abuse for a long time," he said.
Sponsored message
The video was also sent to the Alhambra Unified School District, where Cardosa was working as an assistant principal. The superintendent immediately referred the case to police, and Cardosa resigned the same day.
Cardosa also faces a charge involving a second former student who came forward after seeing the YouTube video and who claims she was abused while attending high school in Riverside County.
Cardosa is expected in court on Thursday.
This story has been updated.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
