A 26-year-old substitute teacher has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to repeatedly sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy and filming the encounters.
Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez, from Warden, Washington, was also accused of sending the teenager sexually explicit photos of herself during the more than one-year period of abuse, according to federal prosecutors.
The victim’s mother broke down while speaking in court, recalling how she would hear her son crying alone in his room at night without knowing how deeply he was suffering.
The teenager also confronted Campos-Hernandez during sentencing, telling her: “You no longer get to control my voice.”
“You took away parts of my childhood that I will never get back,” he said.
Prosecutors said the abuse began in February 2021, when the boy was 13, and continued until July 2022, when he was 15.
The victim’s family reportedly became suspicious of the relationship and asked Campos-Hernandez to stay away from him. They later reported her to police, alleging that she had been manipulating the boy by buying him gifts.
Prosecutors said the abuse also had a devastating effect on the teenager’s life, with classmates and teammates learning about what happened and subjecting him to gossip and insensitive jokes.
But in what has sparked outrage, Campos-Hernandez’s lawyer reportedly argued that because Warden is a small town, young adults and teenagers regularly socialized together and the teacher had misunderstood the nature of their relationship.
A psychologist also testified that Campos-Hernandez was not a sexual deviant or child predator, but was socially immature and struggled with low self-esteem. ChildCare
Prosecutors rejected the explanation, arguing that Campos-Hernandez was a trained teacher who should have known that her actions were wrong.
The judge ultimately sentenced her to 15 years behind bars.
The victim’s sister urged the court to send a strong message that every child deserves protection and justice, regardless of the gender of the victim or offende