Antioch nanny sentenced to 15 years to life for child sex abuse
A nanny from Antioch was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Thursday for sexually abusing a child in her care.
Michelle Nicole Hidalgo, 29, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual acts with a child 10 years old or younger.
Hidalgo has been in jail since her arrest on Sept. 22. As part of a negotiated agreement, Hidalgo was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison, a term which will begin immediately.
She was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.
On Sept. 21, the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was alerted to sexually explicit images of a small child being shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
A search warrant was served at a residence in Antioch and Hidalgo was arrested.
Hidalgo worked as a part-time nanny for the victim's family. Pursuant to her plea, Hidalgo admitted to abusing the child on Sept. 19.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said evidence showed Hidalgo created visual depictions of the abuse and shared those images with other X users.
Text messages from Hidalgo to others indicated her intent to further abuse the child the next time she was with the victim. Investigators are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to ensure those images are flagged if shared online in the future.
"The sentence delivered today reflects the severity of the crime committed," District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. "Our system of justice is dedicated to protecting victims and safeguarding the community by holding offenders accountable."