A substitute teacher in Eastern Washington has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after sexually exploiting a student starting when he was 13.
Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez, 26, who taught in Warden, photographed and videotaped the boy and herself during sexual acts and sent him inappropriate pictures of herself, according to Eastern Washington District U.S. Court documents.
“Today I am speaking because you no longer get to control my voice,” said the victim during the sentencing hearing Wednesday in the Spokane U.S. Courthouse. “You took away parts of my childhood that I will never get back.”
His mother told U.S. Judge Thomas Rice during the hearing that one of her most painful memories is hearing her son crying alone in his room in the middle of the night.
“I did not know what was going through his mind or how deeply he was hurting because he could not bring himself to talk about it,” she said.
The sexual exploitation continued until he was 15.
Campos-Hernandez knew the family, who eventually became suspicious of her behavior.
They told her to stay away from him, but she continued to try to see him and tried to have a birthday present delivered to him, according to Ann Wick, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, writing in a court document.
The family eventually reported her to the Warden Police Department. The boy told police that he felt Campos-Hernandez manipulated him by buying him things. Female sex offender
Her actions were an abuse of trust, that continue to have a ripple effect, according to Wick.
“The victim’s classmates and teammates are all now well aware of what went on, making him the subject of gossip and poor, insensitive humor,” Wick said in a court document. “The victim has avoided socializing as a result.”
Defense attorney Lorinda Meier Youngcourt said in a court document that in the small town of Warden, it is not unusual for adolescents and young adults to socialize together, and Campos-Hernandez blurred the norms of age-appropriate relationships.
According to an evaluation by a doctor of psychology, Campos-Hernandez was not driven by a deviant sexual interest in children or a predatory compulsion, but was socially immature, lacked self-esteem and had a distorted understanding of her “relationship” with the boy, Youngcourt said.
But the prosecution argued that a female sex offender is not as rare as the public may think and should be treated like any other sex offender.
“Like any male offender, defendant demonstrated a sexual interest in a 13-year-old victim and pursued him,” Wick said. “Like any male offender, she manipulated the victim.”
She had training as a teacher to know what she was doing was wrong, but took advantage of her relationship with his family, Wick said.
The victim’s sister asked in the sentencing hearing for a sentence that “sends a clear message that every child deserves the same protection, compassion and justice, regardless of the gender of the victim or offender.”
Both the defense and prosecution agreed in court documents that a 15-year prison sentence was appropriate, and the prosecution also asked for at least 10 years of probation after the prison sentence is completed, rather than the mandatory five years. Extended probation sentence
The extended probation is justified as Campos-Hernandez professed her love for the victim in her journal for long after the sexual conduct occurred and may need more oversight than usual, according to the defense.
The judge ordered 10 years probation.
Campos-Hernandez is ordered to pay a $15,000 special assessment to be used for programs that provide assistance and services for victims of child pornography and trafficking.
She should be able to pay the assessment as she has a college degree and her family has purchased a home for her to live in after being released from prison, Wick said.
“As children return to school, we are especially reminded what a consequential role teachers play in the lives of students,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Seattle office.
He commended the victim for having the courage to tell his story.
Campos-Hernandez role as a teacher “places her victimization on another level,” violating the sacred trust extended by families and students in Warden, said Pete Serrano, first assistant U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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