Michelle Nicole Hidalgo appears in a booking photo. (Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office)
A California woman and nanny previously accused of producing and sharing child sexual abuse material has now been charged with molesting a baby girl in her care, prosecutors say.
Michelle Nicole Hidalgo, 28, was arrested in late September and charged with seven felony counts of “production and distribution of child pornography,” according to a press release issued by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
“Officers served Hidalgo with a search warrant at her home and seized equipment used in the production and distribution of pornographic images of minors,” the press release reads. “The search of Hidalgo’s home and her arrest came after task force members were notified by a social media company on September 21st that child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) of a small child were being shared on their platform.”
Hidalgo allegedly admitted to sharing the images, law enforcement says, telling an investigator it was a “stupid” mistake that happened once, according to court records obtained by the East Bay Times.
At the time of her arrest, the defendant allegedly told investigators she sent images of the 8-month-old child in her care to a man who requested them. Now, prosecutors say, they have evidence that Hidalso sexually abused the infant.
The man on the other end of the social media chats has yet to be identified. According to prosecutors, the defendant agreed to send additional pictures of the child and perform oral sex on her. According to law enforcement, the man asked Hidalgo to commit “worse and worse” crimes against the girl and to create content of that requested abuse, the Times reports, citing court records.
Hidalgo initially lied when asked about the extent of the abuse but later discovered evidence on her iCloud account, according to law enforcement sources cited by Oakland-based Fox affiliate KTVU.
She has since been charged with three counts of child molestation of a victim younger than 10 and one count of using a minor for sex acts.
At the time of her arrest, Hidalgo was working part-time for the alleged victim’s family as a nanny. According to law enforcement, the nanny was hired via Care.com – she was not recommended by a friend or who they otherwise knew. She worked for the family for a few weeks when the alleged abuse occurred.
Police in the area believe there may be additional victims. The investigation is said to be ongoing.
After her initial arrest and charges, the defendant’s bail was set at $700,000. After the latest charges, her bail was raised to $3.4 million, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.
She is detained in the West County Detention Facility. Her next court appearance is set for Oct. 31.
If convicted as charged, Hidalgo faces up to 60 years in prison.
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