Police arrested 33-year-old Andy Santana shortly after midnight this morning (Thursday, October 3) in connection with an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old boy between May and September of this year, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by New Times.
The arrest was brought to light on X (formerly Twitter) by independent journalist Elaine de Valle, who publishes the local blog Political Cortadito.
Charged with a felony count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and contributing to child delinquency, a misdemeanor, Santana remained at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. (If convicted of the felony charge, Santana faces up to 15 years in prison. The misdemeanor charge carries a punishment of up to a year in jail.)
According to the arrest affidavit, the teenage victim (identified only as R.M.) went to Hialeah police on October 2 to report that he had been involved in a monthslong sexual relationship with Santana that included oral sex and anal penetration. He showed police "lewd pictures" and a video to corroborate the allegations.
The victim told police that he met Santana in May, when the latter reached out to him through a direct message on Instagram. On May 12, the victim claimed, he met Santana at a family friend's house. He alleged that Santana brought into his car and kissed him, reached inside his pants, and grabbed his penis, according to the affidavit.
"The victim, shocked from what occurred, texted a friend to call him and say that he needs to go back inside the house," the affidavit reads.
The affidavit describes several alleged sexual encounters between the victim and Santana, including one in one in which Santana urged him to sniff amyl nitrite (AKA poppers) before engaging in anal sex. The victim said the drug made him dizzy. On a subsequent occasion, the victim said he refused to inhale the "party drug," whereupon Santana handcuffed him and forced him to have anal sex against his will.
The victim told police he had sexual intercourse with Santana "at least 5 times in a week" and sometimes spent weekends at Santana's Hialeah apartment.
The relationship ended sometime in September after Santana became "concerned with potential information of him and the victim engaging in sexual activity disclosed on social media," according to the affidavit.
Santana worked as the campaign manager for Otaola, a right-wing social media influencer who ran a failed bid for Miami-Dade County mayor this year against Daniella Levine-Cava. Born in Cuba, Otaola arrived in the U.S. in the early 2000s and began working on telenovelas and comedy shows.
Otaola hosts Hola Ota-Ola, a Spanish-language show that targets Cuban voters on the YouTube channel @CubanosporelMundoLive.
In response to a request for comment, Otaola tells New Times, "I would have to speak with his lawyer; the campaign is closed, and we have no information regarding what happened."
Shortly thereafter, around 12:40 p.m., Otaola shared a statement on Facebook addressing Santana's arrest.
"I want to make it clear, without a doubt, that I have no control over the private lives of my employees, and although I appreciate them a lot, I strongly condemn any illegal or morally questionable act," reads an English translation of the Spanish-language statement. "Each person will have to face responsibility for their own actions and prove their innocence."
