A 26-year-old Grant County teacher has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a 13-year-old boy.
A 26-year-old Grant County teacher has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a 13-year-old boy, according to the U.S. Justice Department for the Eastern District of Washington.
Andrea Lee Campos-Hernandez was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to producing child pornography in connection with the sexual abuse of the boy between February 2021 and July 2022, according to court documents cited by the Justice Department.
Prosecutors said Campos-Hernandez took photos and recorded video of herself and the boy engaged in sexual activity. She also sent the boy photos of herself partially nude and in underwear.
U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Campos-Hernandez to 180 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Rice also ordered her to pay $15,000 in special assessments under two federal laws intended to help victims.
The victim and members of his family addressed the court during sentencing, describing the lasting impact of the abuse.
“You took away parts of my childhood that I will never get back,” the victim told Campos-Hernandez.
His mother recalled hearing her son crying alone in his room at night before she understood what he was going through. His sister urged the court to impose a sentence that recognized that child sexual abuse should be treated equally regardless of the gender of the victim or offender.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano said Campos-Hernandez’s role as a teacher made the violation of trust particularly serious. He also said female sexual offenders must be held to the same standards as male offenders.
