Content Warning: This article concerns charges of voyeurism, trauma, and the details of a court case concerning AU students. It also briefly mentions sexual assault and childhood trauma. Read with caution and reach out to organizations such as No More AU for support. Resources are linked at the bottom of this page.
Reporting by Jhonny Lopez-Lopez and Megan McNamara. Copy editing by Jacob Saucier.
On Wednesday afternoon, after approximately three hours of court proceedings, Kris Emmanuel Estrada took the stand in a cold and nearly empty courtroom. There were only a handful of people left in the room: Estrada’s defense counsel, his parents, the prosecution, courtroom staff, and two Rival reporters. A few faceless black squares, including other Rival American reporters, watched from a livestream displayed on a large black TV screen.
Estrada, who just a few moments prior had shared a nervous laugh and smile with his defense attorney, was now facing the judge who would decide his fate. With a calm demeanor, a clean black suit and red tie, Estrada took a seat and started an hours-long ordeal to determine the sentence to be imposed on his guilty plea.
Estrada, 20, is an American University student who made headlines in campus news last summer. Estrada was arrested in August of 2024, initially on a single count of voyeurism for recording another AU student inside a men’s restroom in Bender Library. Before his arrest, Estrada was reported missing by his peers. A “MISSING” flyer circulated on social media after his roommates reported that they had not seen him over the weekend. As initially reported by The Eagle, Estrada turned himself in to AUPD a week after his disappearance.
After an investigation involving WiFi data, security footage, and media found on his cellular device, four additional alleged victims were identified, and on Oct. 9, 2024, Estrada was charged with an additional four counts of voyeurism, as well as a felony charge of tampering with evidence. Court documents alleged that these crimes occurred between February and July of last year.
Voyeurism is a misdemeanor under D.C. law. Each charge may have carried a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $2,500 fine. Tampering with evidence is a felony that carries up to three years in prison and a fine upwards of $1,000. Estrada’s defense and the prosecution agreed on a plea deal where he would plead guilty to the five voyeurism charges in exchange for dropping the tampering with evidence charge.
Estrada’s attorney, Charles Haskell, asked that the public be barred from the courtroom and that court documents be sealed because Estrada’s testimony would include mention of his prior trauma. Sealing the case would have barred the public from watching the sentencing proceedings and accessing previous and future court documents. Judge Heidi Pasichow, an AU alum, rejected Haskell’s requests to seal the overall case and accepted the prosecution’s arguments that the courtroom should remain open because there was a legitimate public interest in the case. However, Judge Pasichow agreed that evidence and testimony involving descriptive mentions of Estrada’s previous trauma would be sealed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney and AU adjunct professor Richard Kelley argued that there was an “egregious” pattern of behavior from Estrada, and that Estrada broke AU students’ reasonable expectation of privacy while changing, using the restrooms, and showering at multiple locations throughout AU including communal bathrooms in the dormitories and public restrooms in the library.
Kelley also argued that in addition to the five known victims of voyeurism, police uncovered photographs spanning fifty different days that captured possibly over one hundred other victims.
The prosecution requested one year of imprisonment for each of the five counts of voyeurism to which Estrada pleaded guilty, to be served consecutively. However, as a result of the plea deal, Kelley recommended that the sentence be suspended with a minimum of 36 months of probation.
Haskell opened by portraying Estrada as a bright, intelligent, and compassionate young adult. He outlined Estrada’s various accomplishments inside and out of AU as proof of his commitment to his future and the D.C. community. The list of accomplishments included securing a Capitol Hill internship, being named a local McDonalds’ employee of the month, being an active member of university acapella group On A Sensual Note, and being a student government (AUSG) senator. Haskell stressed that throughout the case Estrada had accepted full responsibility for his actions. However, Haskell sought to ensure that Estrada’s actions were not interpreted to be an aggravated sex offense. Making this distinction would prevent Estrada from being required to register as a sex offender. Haskell argued that Estrada did not disseminate recorded footage and did not use such footage for sexual gratification.
Haskell argued that Estrada’s actions were a “natural progression” of his childhood trauma. Estrada’s therapist, Kyle Collins, testified that Estrada started therapy in December 2024 and had made significant progress in understanding sexual health and consent. Collins asserted that Estrada’s trauma had impaired his judgement and normalized voyeurism in his mind. Collins also testified that Estrada exhibited signs of dissociation and memory loss around those actions.
Collins emphasized that Estrada was fully committed to continuing a journey toward positive sexual health practices. While not a condition of the defense nor part of the prosecution’s recommendations, Collins said that Estrada intended to maintain sex therapy throughout his life.
Estrada also testified, but the contents of it were sealed, and the courtroom hushers were turned on. Estrada appeared calm, composed, and collected as he began to speak, but he rarely looked up to face the judge. Only Judge Pasichow, the prosecutor, and the defense heard his testimony.
After Estrada, his mother gave a tearful testimony about her son’s character. As she told her son “I love you,” Estrada’s eyes filled with tears. Haskell closed by claiming that multiple AU students have expressed a desire to see Estrada back on campus and that they believed he would not be a threat to the AU student body. When asked if he intended to provide further evidence of that claim, Haskell declined. Haskell said Estrada still sees a future in attending AU, and that he has grown to love the campus, its amenities, and his fellow students.
Haskell deferred to the plea, which prevented him from arguing against the prosecution’s sentencing recommendations with a maximum 36 months of probation. However, he claimed that Estrada’s actions did not terrorize AU’s campus, as the prosecution claimed. Haskell requested that the stay away order for AU’s campus be rescinded.
Judge Pasichow sentenced Estrada to five years suspended prison time with a 36-month probation period. If Estrada violates his probation, he may be required to serve up to five years in prison. Judge Pasichow noted that the plea deal had essentially determined the sentence. As an added stipulation of probation, Estrada must comply with stay away orders requested by two of the identified victims. Only their initials were used in court to protect their anonymity, though Estrada’s counsel has provided their names in sealed documents to ensure Estrada’s ability to comply. Additionally, Estrada was ordered to pay a $50 fine for each count of voyeurism, totalling $250.
In accordance with the D.C. Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), the stay away order for AU’s campus will be revisited in four months at his next court date on June 24. The hearing will evaluate his therapy progress and adherence to probation. The YRA provides sentencing alternatives for young adult offenders under 22-years of age who are sentenced for any crime other than murder.
The court decided that there was not enough concrete evidence to determine whether AU’s community does or does not want Estrada to be allowed back on campus. AU still has an ongoing Title IX investigation concerning Estrada. The prosecution hinted at the idea of opinion polling the AU community.
As the court hearing closed, Estrada faced his parents with a sigh and look of relief. The months-long criminal case was now behind him, though his next steps are still uncertain.
A post appeared Sunday on one of Estrada’s social media accounts purporting to give his side of the story and pledging donations to sexual assault advocacy groups No More AU and Its On Us AU. The post detailed Estrada’s own history with abuse and sexual assault. However, both organization’s accounts commented that they would not be accepting his donation. Comments were later limited on the post, and his account has since been set to “private.”
Due to this article’s subject matter, The Rival encourages readers to take care of themselves. For more information and resources, please visit No More AU or It’s On Us at AU. No More AU has tools linked such as resource guides for survivors, survivor support group information and a link to RAINN’s campus safety website. It’s On Us offers survivor resources, volunteer opportunities and Title IX advising. The Rival stands with and supports victims.
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