A Utah woman who became a hot topic after she pulled down young women’s skirts in public has accepted a plea deal to plead guilty to misdemeanor sexual assault.
Aida Lorenzo, 49, got into an altercation with a young woman at a restaurant in St. George, Utah on April 20 that was partially caught on camera.
In a video posted on April 21, she appears to brag about working for the state government while scolding a young woman for her skirt.
Ida Lorenzo.ccsnowww (via TikTok)
“I happen to work for the state, and if I have to see your butt sticking out again, I’m calling Child Protective Services,” Lorenzo said in the video, referring to Utah Child Protective Services.
The video was filmed by a woman in the group and the caption read, “Karen was upset that my friend was wearing a mini skirt so she aggressively grabbed it, pulled it down and said ‘you’re probably underage and shouldn’t be wearing that’ and caused a disturbance in a crowded restaurant.”
The young woman in the skirt is not visible in the clip.
Lorenzo is seen speaking to a group of girls defending his friend, telling them “she’s over 18. she’s 19” and “don’t touch her” and urging them to call police.
Lorenzo called St. George police after seeing the video on social media on April 21, the day after the incident. She worked for the state and reported that the video had put her life in danger, according to charging documents.
Lorenzo told police he was confronted by a young woman at a restaurant who was wearing “revealing clothing” that exposed her genitals in the presence of children. He told police he felt it was his responsibility to talk to the woman and attempted to pull down her skirt to cover her exposed genitals, according to the affidavit.
Officers asked Lorenzo why he thought it was appropriate to touch the young woman, assuming she was a minor. She responded that he never touched her, just up her skirt. She told police that the woman and her friend filmed part of the incident and posted it to social media with the tagline “Karen,” according to the affidavit.
On April 22, a woman, who was reportedly wearing a miniskirt, filed a police complaint alleging that she was sexually assaulted in the restaurant’s lobby on April 20.
The victim said Lorenzo confronted her without warning while her back was turned and she “felt his cold hands reach under my skirt and touch my buttocks before tugging at my skirt.” The probate affidavit states the victim “was surprised by the encounter and felt assaulted.”
The victim and seven other witnesses came forward and filled out a statement. The victim claimed that exposure was impossible as she was wearing underwear and shorts under her skirt.
Lorenzo was charged with sexual assault, a Class A misdemeanor.
But in a plea agreement filed Aug. 7, the charge was reduced to a Class B misdemeanor, according to Washington County court records.
She has pleaded not guilty and has pleaded not guilty. The agreement means she will face no punishment for a year if she follows its terms: she is not allowed to commit any crimes, has no contact with the victim and must undergo a mental evaluation.
Lorenzo’s attorney, Susan Gustin, said Tuesday that Lorenzo declined to comment on the plea agreement.
On the same day that she was indicted, Lorenzo received a termination notice from the Utah Attorney General’s Office, where she had worked as a legal secretary for less than two months, according to the Utah News-Dispatch, which cited “failure to successfully complete a probationary period” and “failure to comply with performance policies and standards,” according to the paper.
NBC News has reached out to the Attorney General’s office for comment.
