Mental health therapist accused of sexually battering teen patient

MIAMI BEACH, FL - Seven years after the incident was initially reported, Miami police have arrested a mental health specialist who was hired to do at-home therapy sessions with a teenager back in 2017 and who allegedly had a sexual relationship with the boy.

According to Local10, police have arrested 54-year-old Sandra Janneth Alvarez of Pembroke Pines. The arrest report states that the charge stems from her work in the private sector. Alvarez currently works for Broward County Public Schools and provides counseling at two of the elementary schools.

The arrest report states that Alvarez began the relationship with the boy when he was 15 or 16 while working for a company called Healthy Solutions for Children and Families. Police said she was working with him on his "unruly behavior" during at-home visits. Those sessions allegedly turned sexual very quickly.

The report states that "the two began to get comfortable with each other and they would share hugs, kisses, and eventually engaged in penile/vaginal intercourse on multiple occasions in his bedroom during the therapy sessions." Even after Alvarez terminated their therapy sessions in April of 2018, the duo remained in touch. Police said that text messages showed that Alvarez and the victim, now an adult, discussed meeting in Naples this past April.

Authorities said that the victim viewed the encounters as "consensual." The report said, "However, he said that now, being 23-years-old, he understands the age discrepancy and that he was a juvenile and she was an adult at the time." Police said the victim is now the subject of an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation in St. Petersburg, where he now lives. 

The investigation played a role in his decision to come forward. Police wrote in the report, "He said that now that he is in his current situation where he is the subject to an ICAC investigation and in a sounder state of mine, he realized how wrong the situation was and how it may have affected his development, mental state, and decision-making ability."

Police said that his mother contacted Miami Beach detectives on his behalf to report the crime back in September. The report states that detectives conducted a controlled phone call between the victim and Alvarez on November 13th. Much of what the pair allegedly discussed was redacted from the report.

The report states, "(The victim) asked her if she missed having sex with him, in which she replied (redacted)." Police said Alvarez agreed to meet with Miami Beach police for an interview. She confirmed that the boy was her patient and that the pair would do private sessions. Police said, "When asked about their sexual encounters, Alvarez did not wish to provide a statement."

Police arrested Alvarez on a first-degree felony charge of sexual battery by a person in a position of familial of custodial authority. If found guilty, she could spend the rest of her life in prison. As of Wednesday, December 11th, jail records show that Alvarez was being held in the Tuner Guilford Knight Correction Center on a $10,000 bond. 
 
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Sign in to comment

Comments

Powered by LET CMS™ Comments

Get latest news delivered daily!

We will send you breaking news right to your inbox

© 2024 Law Enforcement Today, Privacy Policy