Ex-Educator Pleads Not Guilty To Sex Abuse Charges After Being Confronted On YouTube
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — A former school administrator accused of molesting two Riverside County girls, one of whom confronted her in a YouTube video, pleaded not guilty Friday to felony charges.
Andrea Michelle Cardosa, 40, was arrested Feb. 3 and charged with 11 counts of lewd acts with a child under 14 years old, five counts of forced sexual penetration and multiple sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting more than one victim in a sex crime, officials said.
Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez had rejected defense attorney Randy Collins' argument that the case should be dismissed because the statute of limitations had run out.
The investigation into Cardosa began in January after a 28-year-old woman posted a video on YouTube of a phone conversation with the suspect in which she accuses Cardosa of sexually abusing her 16 years earlier when she was a 12-year-old student at Chemawa Middle School in Riverside. Cardosa appeared to acknowledge the crimes during the conversation.
A second woman identified as Brianna, now 18, came forward a short time later claiming Cardosa similarly sexually abused her when she was 15 and attending Tomas Rivera Middle School in Perris.
The suspect held teaching, coaching and administrative positions at both schools between 1997 and 2013, according to authorities.
Cardosa is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $5 million bail and is scheduled to be in court for a felony settlement conference on May 23.
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