Connecticut teacher sentenced to 25 years for sexual abuse of 16-year-old student in Yonkers

Sandy Carazas-Pinez, 36, a married mother of three from Bethel, Connecticut, was sentenced on Sept. 19 to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity in connection with the case involving a 16-year-old student at a private school in Yonkers, New York. U.S. prosecutors said the abuse occurred while the teenager was under the teacher’s supervision at Biondi School, which has since closed. Carazas-Pinez’s conviction and sentence mark the culmination of an investigation that relied on digital messages, photographs, and recorded communications reviewed by authorities.

From November 2022 through February 2023, authorities say Carazas-Pinez engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse with the student, meeting the teen in her car off campus and eventually facilitating encounters outside school grounds. The allegations include sending explicit photos and coercing the student into sexually explicit live-streamed video calls, which prosecutors described as “gifts.” Investigators compiled a series of text messages that prosecutors said laid bare the extent of the relationship and the coercive dynamics involved. The case drew attention to how a school employee’s conduct could extend beyond the classroom, especially in a setting where the student faced mental health challenges.

The abuse was reportedly discovered by school administrators after staff observed the teacher in the company of the student off campus and later noted close contact between them inside a classroom. According to court filings, Carazas-Pinez instructed the student to delete messages to avoid detection. To facilitate meetings outside of school hours, she allegedly instructed the student to use day-passing procedures that allowed temporary absences from campus. The pair reportedly traveled to parks in Yonkers, the Bronx, and Staten Island for sexual encounters, raising concerns about the safety of students at the facility. Court records also describe a lenient boundary line being crossed when the two were seen together in a science lab, prompting an administrator to note a breach of school policy before the relationship ended.

The student’s mother described the case in emotional terms, noting that her child suffers from schizophrenia and a mood disorder. She told the New York Post in 2023 that what happened amounted to the rape of a child with a mental illness and urged authorities and society at large to safeguard vulnerable students. Carazas-Pinez, who has denied the initial allegations, told the Post she did not know there were such claims when contact was made with her in 2023. In communications cited in court filings, the defendant allegedly acknowledged emotional involvement with the student, even as she faced questions about the propriety of their relationship.

During the investigation, the student’s family and others described a troubling dynamic that extended beyond private messages. The student’s mother said classroom footage suggested improper physical closeness, with accounts of fondling during class and concerns about the teacher’s influence on a minor student. An assistant principal at one point reportedly cited Carazas-Pinez for violating the school’s boundary policies after the two were seen eating together in a laboratory. In a recorded conversation summarized in court filings, the student described encounters and the surrounding context, and Carazas-Pinez acknowledged some level of personal involvement, while stressing that such behavior was inappropriate given the student’s age and status as a pupil.

Rising Ground, the nonprofit organization that operated the school, said in a statement that it cooperated fully with law enforcement investigations and emphasized the importance of safeguarding students and vulnerable community members. The organization noted that the school’s leadership and staff remain committed to ensuring the safety of students and to supporting ongoing efforts to prevent harm.

The case underscores ongoing concerns about safeguarding minors in educational settings, particularly when students have mental health challenges. Authorities described the events as a grievous breach of trust by a teacher who was entrusted with the care of a vulnerable student. The Biondi School, which has since closed, was operated independently of public school districts but relied on staff and administrators to maintain appropriate boundaries and child-protection standards. Investigators continue to review communications and records to determine whether additional individuals may have been involved or aware of the conduct, as prosecutors pursue any further legal avenues available in the case.