, “The lens of the camera was positioned so that it could record Ms. Ochoa while she was undressing.” Ochoa said she was “horrified” when she realized the camera was recording her and that she left the studio as soon as she was able to. “Soon after he realized what had happened, tried quickly to sweep it under the rug so that no one would ever find out,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of the communication that came from Mr. Benton toward my client was trying to make up an excuse at the beginning.
Nearly a year and a half later, on May 25, 2023, Benton plead guilty to the charge and was given four years of probation. Gonzalez confirmed he also paid Ochoa a settlement in her civil caseHe said Ochoa would have had to testify if the case had gone to trial, and she was relieved to not have to relive the incident. “We soon realized that guilty plea was not the end of it,” Gonzalez said.
I was told by many people to not talk about this incident because no one would believe me, but I hope that my story helps other survivors feel less alone, and my hope is that it helps at least one other woman from going through what I went through. Despite all that I’ve suffered, I won’t let this experience deter me from pursuing my dreams. I would like to thank my support system—my family, my close friends and my lawyer who has guided me through the toughest moments when I was ready to quit.