MARTINEZ — A former Antioch nanny has pleaded guilty to molesting an infant girl with the understanding that she will be sentenced to life in prison with a chance for parole after 15 years, authorities said.
Michelle Nicole Hidalgo, 29, entered her guilty plea in a Martinez courtroom Friday morning, bringing a resolution to a particularly egregious child molestation case involving an extremely young victim and a breach of trust. Hidalgo allegedly molested the girl, filmed it and shared the evidence online.
Hidalgo’s plea deal required prosecutors to drop child pornography distribution and additional child molestation charges. But the count she pleaded guilty to carries a sentence of 15 years to life, which a judge is scheduled to hand down in July, court records show.
During the police investigation, authorities weren’t able to find evidence of more than one victim, but noted that when sharing the images of the girl she molested, Hidalgo texted a person that it was the first time she filmed it. When interviewed by police, Hidalgo reportedly said it was a “stupid” one-time mistake and directed police to the baby’s parents, authorities said.
Hidalgo had been hired by the victim’s parents as a babysitter. A search of her phone uncovered evidence that she molested the infant girl at the direction of a man who encouraged her to do “worse and worse” things and document it, a police investigator said in court filings.
She was charged last September, and initially faced as much as 60 years to life behind bars.
Source: www.mercurynews.com