Former Yonkers Teacher Sentenced To 25 Years In Connection With Sexual Exploitation Of Minor Student

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that SANDY CARAZAS-PINEZ was sentenced to 25 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. CARAZAS-PINEZ's sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, who also presided over her guilty plea.

"Sexual exploitation by teachers offends every New Yorker," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "Sandy Carazas-Pinez betrayed her role and, through explicit texts and other means, coerced a 16-year-old into a sexual relationship. Actions of this type by anyone, particularly a teacher or other person of trust, will not be tolerated."

According to the court documents and statement made during court proceedings:

CARAZAS-PINEZ was a high school teacher at a school for kindergarten through 12th grade students located in Yonkers, New York ("School-1"). From in or around November 2022 through February 2023, CARAZAS-PINEZ abused her position as a teacher at School-1 by inducing and attempting to induce a student ("Minor Victim-1") at School-1 into a sexual relationship with CARAZAS-PINEZ. Minor Victm-1 was 16 years old at the time of the abuse.

CARAZAS-PINEZ singled out Minor Victim-1 for personal attention at School-1. In addition, CARAZAS-PINEZ induced Minor Victim-1 to engage in sexual activity with her by leading Minor Victim-1 to believe that they were in a romantic relationship.

CARAZAS-PINEZ used her personal cellphone to call, text, and video call Minor Victim-1 to arrange sexual encounters and to repeatedly induce Minor Victim-1 to engage in live-streamed sexually explicit conduct while on video calls with CARAZAS-PINEZ. In text messages with Minor Victim-1, CARAZAS-PINEZ referred to her sexual encounters with Minor Victim-1 and the live depictions of sexually explicit conduct she induced Minor Victim-1 to create as "gifts."

CARAZAS-PINEZ also used her personal cellphone to send Minor Victim-1 sexually suggestive photographs of herself along with sexually explicit text messages. After sending the photographs and messages, CARAZAS-PINEZ instructed Minor Victim-1 to delete them and inquired repeatedly as to whether Minor Victim-1 had done so.

To facilitate their sexual encounters outside the premises of School-1, CARAZAS-PINEZ directed Minor Victim-1 in text messages to obtain day passes from School-1 to be permitted to leave campus. CARAZAS-PINEZ then met Minor Victim-1 at a location near School-1's campus and drove Minor Victim-1 to another location. On multiple occasions, while parked in CARAZAS-PINEZ's car at various locations, including in or around the Bronx, Yonkers, and Staten Island, New York, CARAZAS-PINEZ engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts, and attempted to do so, with Minor Victim-1.

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In addition to the prison term, CARAZAS-PINEZ, 36, of Bethel, Connecticut, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work in this matter.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office's Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi S. Steiner is in charge of the prosecution.