A Utah woman who went viral for pulling down a teenager's mini skirt at a St. George restaurant in a video that was circulated on social media this week is now facing criminal charges.
In the clip, filmed on Saturday night inside Sakura Japanese Steakhouse, Ida Ann Lorenzo described herself as a Utah state employee and reprimanded the teenager, telling her that if shehas to watch the teen's "a** cheeks hanging out again," she'll call Child Protective Services.
When the teen's friends tell her she's 19 years of age and objected to her touching the teenager, she continues to accuse the teen of dressing inappropriately.
She later complained to police that video of the confrontation posted across various social media platforms labeled her a "Karen."
As reported by ABC4 Utah, Lorenzo, 48, has been charged with sexual battery. According to documents filed Wednesday in 5th District Court show Lorenzo, of Santa Clara, she is facing a single count of the Class A misdemeanor charge. She was booked into jail, but has since been released.
Lorenzo Told Dispatcher the Teen Had Her Skirt Hiked Up Inappropriately, She Pulled it Down Because Children were Present
According to a statement of probable cause, Lorenzo reported the incident herself the night it happened, telling dispatch that the teenager had her skirt "hiked above her vagina and butt," exposing her pubic hair. She also said she decided to take matters into her own hands because the restaurant staff and parents didn't act and there were young children present.
Later that night she called 911 again, this time saying that a video of the aftermath was posted online, along with her identity. Lorenzo explained that because she holds a position with the state, she felt this was a "threat on her life," the police report states.
Police Told Lorenzo Her Act of Touching the Girl was Not Appropriate and Criminal in Nature
In an interview with a St. George police officer Sunday, Lorenzo said that when she pulled down the teenager's skirt, the girl whom she believed to be a minor ignored her, so she threatened to call Child Protective Services to file an indecent exposure report. This is consistent with what appears in the viral video, in which the victim is described as a 19-year-old.
The police officer asked Lorenzo why she thought it was appropriate to touch another person. She responded saying that she only touched the girl's skirt. To this, the officer said that such an act was still criminal behavior and not appropriate, the police report states.
On TikTok, where the original video was posted of the aftermath, received more than 2 million views, and police noted that the footage "clearly showed [Lorenzo] approaching the females," touching them, and threatening to call authorities.
Teen Reported Lorenzo for Sexual Assault
On Monday, the teenager whose skirt was pulled down called police, saying she was sexually assaulted. She told investigators that Lorenzo came up behind her without warning, touched her buttocks, and pulled down her skirt. The incident left her feeling "startled" and "violated," the police report states. Several witnesses also filed similar reports with police.
The teenager provided police with video of herself in the skirt that night, and she explained that she was wearing underwear and that it would have been impossible for her pubic hair to have been exposed, as Lorenzo claimed.
Before Lorenzo was arrested, she denied touching the teen's skin, and she repeated that she thought the teen was nude underneath the skirt, the police report states. The officer told Lorenzo that even if the teen was naked under the skirt, her actions still meet the criminal elements of sexual battery. She was booked Wednesday into the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane.
