Nanny from Antioch sentenced to 15 years to life for child abuse

An Antioch nanny was sentenced Thursday to 15 years to life in prison for sexually abusing a child in her care.

Michelle Nicole Hidalgo, 29, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a child 10 years of age or younger.

Hidalgo has been in prison since her arrest on September 22. As part of a plea agreement, Hidalgo was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, with the sentence beginning immediately.

She was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

On September 21, the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was alerted that sexually explicit images of a young child were being shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

A search warrant was issued for an apartment in Antioch and Hidalgo was arrested.

Hidalgo worked as a part-time nanny for the victim’s family. In her confession on September 19, Hidalgo admitted to abusing the child.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said evidence suggested Hidalgo created visual representations 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 these images are labeled if they are shared online in the future.

“The sentence imposed today reflects the seriousness of the crime committed,” District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. “Our justice system is committed to protecting victims and the community by holding perpetrators accountable.”