Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice spoke publicly Monday for the first time since deciding not to prosecute a Hofstra student who falsely claimed she was gang-raped.

Rice defended herself against the criticism she's received for not bringing charges against the 18-year-old Danmel Ndonye.

"I have never made the easy decision," she says. "It holds her accountable, it exonerates the innocent, and it sends the message out there that if you're a real victim of a sex assault, you're OK to come forward. And if you've made a false allegation, you need to come clean."

While Ndonye won't face jail time, she does need to undergo a year of psychiatric counseling and perform 250 hours of community service.