[music playing]
NARRATOR: In the charming city of Savannah,
Georgia, restaurant bars like Vinnie Van GoGo's
are hopping in the summertime.
On this night, this waitress has just
taken an order, as a man heading toward the exit approaches her.
On the way, this happens.
EMELIA HOLDEN: My name is Emelia Holden,
and I survived sexual battery.
So I just finished taking an order,
and I was putting the menus away and
about to get my table set up.
The night was almost over for me.
And as it happened, I kind of thought it might
have been one of my coworkers.
And when I turned around, I just remembered
being so upset by seeing this drunk idiot walking by
and doing something like that.
So I just kind of reacted.
NARRATOR: The customer nonchalantly
continues his stroll, until Emelia changes his course.
[music playing]
EMELIA HOLDEN: At the time, I think
I just had so much adrenaline.
And then I just really remember him
being on the ground and thinking, what just happened?
I kind of blacked out.
[music playing]
When the guy went down and it hit the cart,
everyone was in shock.
NARRATOR: No one more shocked than the man
tossed on his backside.
EMELIA HOLDEN: I remember shaking my finger at him
and being like, "You don't touch me, [bleep],","
and then leaning in and telling my coworkers like,
"Call the cops, call the cops.
This guy just grabbed me."
And he didn't even really know what just happened.
POLICE OFFICER: OK.
All right.
NARRATOR: Some have criticized Emelia
for her physical reaction to the assault.
EMELIA HOLDEN: I got a lot of reactions
where people were like, well, why would you do that?
That's not that big of a deal.
Or, maybe you shouldn't have been wearing such short shorts.
And it's like, you know, again, no one has the right
to touch me in that way.
NARRATOR: And Emelia knows that very well.
This is not the first time she's survived sexual assault.
Being a survivor of molestation and rape,
I've just kind of gotten to that point where it's like, you're
not going to do that to me.
And it took me a long time to come to terms with that,
you know, kind of like suppressing memories.
But it's like, one day I just woke up,
and it's like, oh, that actually happened to me.
Like, that was not OK.
NARRATOR: The customer claimed he barely touched Emelia.
POLICE OFFICER: All right.
NARRATOR: The video confirms Emelia's version of events.
31-year-old Ryan Cherwinski was arrested,
pled guilty to sexual battery, and was sentenced to 11 months
probation, which prohibits him from going
to bars or drinking alcohol.
You guys have a good night.
NARRATOR: One advantage of this video going viral--
Emelia was able to inspire others.
EMELIA HOLDEN: I got a lot of messages
from many different women and men telling me
that seeing that video gave them the strength to press
charges against their abuser.
And that was just something that really meant a lot to me
because that's kind of my hopes with that going viral
is that people understand that this is assault
and that it's not OK.
NARRATOR: If you or someone you know has been affected
by sexual violence, contact the National Sexual Assault
Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.