Utah: Woman charged in viral skirt-pulling incident appears in court for first time

St. George, Utah (ABC4) — The Utah woman was charged with sexual assault for allegedly tugging on a teenage girl’s miniskirt in a restaurant in St. George appeared in court for the first time Wednesday in a case that attracted national attention due to a viral TikTok video.

Ida Ann Lorenzo, 48, of Santa Clara, stood silently in 5th District Court for her first appearance since her In April, he was charged with a Class A misdemeanor. Her lawyer, Susanne Gustin, answered routine questions and Lorenzo’s next appearance was scheduled for July 30.

The sexual assault charge against Lorenzo followed an incident on April 20 in the crowded lobby of Sakura Japanese Steakhouse. Lorenzo told police she pulled down a teenage girl’s miniskirt after claiming the teen’s butt and vagina were visible to people in the lobby, including a small child.

The aftermath of the alleged skirt-pulling was filmed by a friend of the 19-year-old, and the video has since more than 14 million views on TikTokIn the viral clip, Lorenzo identified himself as an employee of the state of Utah and threatened to call child services on the teenager.

Lorenzo was the first to call the police, but the teenager also came forward, triggering an investigation. According to St. George Police Department body camera footage obtained by ABC4.com, The teenager told the investigating officer that Lorenzo approached her unannounced and pulled her skirt down from behind, which made her feel hurt.

The teenager denied that her genitals were exposed and told police she was wearing underwear that night. She also provided the investigator with a video of her wearing the skirt and gyrating in it.

In several conversations with the investigator, Lorenzo repeatedly told her that touching a person’s private areas without permission was against the law, even if the touching was only on clothing. Lorenzo denied ever touching the teenager’s skin.

On April 24, Lorenzo was arrested and charged with sexual assault. The next day, she lost her job at the Utah Attorney General’s office, where she had been hired as a legal secretary just weeks earlier. according to documents obtained by ABC4.com. Lorenzo has since had a GoFundMe page to secure their livelihood and that of their family.

In Utah, a Class A misdemeanor can result in up to one year in prison and fines up to $2,500.