From the State’s Attorney:
VICTOR MEZA VALDEZ SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND GROOMING
The Office of the McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Victor Meza Valdez, formerly of Ringwood, New Jersey, was sentenced to a combined sentence of 8 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offenses of child pornography and grooming pursuant to a negotiated plea in front of the Honorable Tiffany Davis on December 17, 2024.
On January 9, 2024, the Lake in the Hills Police Department began investigating a report made by a student at a local middle school involving a 26-year-old adult male contacting the student via Snapchat.
The Lake in the Hills Police Department identified the minor victim and discovered a second minor victim at a local Huntley middle school.
The Huntley Police Department referred their investigation to the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The Task Force was able to build on the thorough investigation done by Detective Arient from Lake in the Hills PD to ultimately identify Victor Meza Valdez as the adult male that had been contacting the two minor children.
Once identified, the Task Force issued various subpoenas to cell phone providers and social media providers, gathering the evidence proving that Meza Valdez targeted the young girls via social media, grooming them to send photos and coercing them to virtually engage in various sexual acts.
The Task Force was able to work quickly with local New Jersey law enforcement to locate and apprehend Meza Valdez, bringing him back to McHenry County to be prosecuted.
Ultimately, Valdez Meza plead guilty to soliciting child pornography, a class X felony, and was sentenced to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Valdez Meza also plead guilty to grooming, a class 4 felony, and was sentenced to 2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be served consecutively to the sentence on solicitation of child pornography.
Valdez Meza is entitled to day-for-day credit on both charges. Valdez Meza will have to register as a sex offender for life.
Randi Freese would like to thank the hard work of Lake in the Hills Police Department Det. Arient, who provided invaluable information to the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Crimes Against Children Task Force to bring justice to these young victims. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Vonau.
Since its inception in 2023, the Task Force has partnered with local law enforcement agencies in McHenry County to investigate over 55 cases of children sexual and physical abuse allegations, leading to charges such as these that reinforce the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community – our children.
