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Boulder County, Colo. – On January 5, 2026, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39-year-old Patricio Alejandro ILLANES. ILLANES was investigated by Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab detectives, who are also members of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. They began this investigation in September 2025 after receiving three CyberTips from Meta, Inc. The suspect account, later confirmed to be owned and operated by ILLANES, was reported for creating and selling sexually explicit content.

The investigation led to a search of ILLANES’ personal cell phone which revealed multiple videos of apparent juveniles engaged in sexually explicit videos, which had been shared on various end-to-end encrypted messaging applications and other paid subscription pornography sites. It was also determined that ILLANES photographed and filmed juveniles who were asked to “perform a script” in front of a green screen mimicking a hypnotic state. He later edited the imagery for sexual gratification. Due to our inquiries, these platforms have since removed the content in question and deactivated ILLANES’ accounts.

So far, four out-of-state individuals have been identified and interviewed related to this investigation, confirming they were juveniles at the time of their hypnotic role-play sessions, which led to them removing articles of clothing and performing sexually explicit acts at ILLANES’ instruction. Additional hypnosis-like photographs were located, which appear to depict clothed students in a school setting.

ILLANES was arrested on the following charges:

• 10 counts of Sexual exploitation of a child – creates material 18-6-403(1)(a) – Class 3 Felony
• 10 counts of Sexual exploitation of a child – publishes/sells/distributes 18-6-403(1)(b) – Class 3 Felony
• 10 counts of Sexual exploitation of a child – possession with intent to distribute 18-6-403(1)(c) – Class 3 Felony
• 10 counts of Sexual exploitation of a child – producing a performance 18-6-403(1)(d) – Class 3 Felony
• 10 counts of Unlawful practice of occupation or profession 12-20-407(1)(a)(V)(N) – Class 2 Misdemeanor

At the time of this report ILLANES was an English teacher at Arvada Senior High School, whose administration was notified of the ongoing investigation and swiftly placed him on administrative leave and has since terminated him. All current and previous employers cooperated fully with the investigation. We are seeking additional information from any current/former students and co-workers of ILLANES who may have additional information related to this investigation.

Below is a list of programs and schools where ILLANES was known to have access to students:

• 2010-2015: City of Longmont Children and Youth Services, Longmont, CO
• 2013-2025: TGTHR (formerly known as Attention Homes) in Boulder and Longmont, CO
• 2013-2017: New Meridian Alternative High School (formerly known as Olde Columbine) Longmont, CO
• 2015-2021: Longmont Library – Children and Teens Section, Longmont, CO
• 2017-2019: Centaurus High School, Lafayette, CO
• 2019-2020: Mapleton School District (intern), Denver, CO
• 2019-2023: Erie Middle School, Erie, CO
• 2019-2023: Erie High School, Erie, CO
• 2024-2025: Arvada Senior High School, Arvada, CO

If you, or your child, may have been a victim of ILLANES, we ask that you please contact the law enforcement agency where the suspected victimization took place:

• Arvada Police Department – call dispatch at 303-980-7300.
• Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (unincorporated Boulder County, Lyons, Nederland, or Superior) – call Detective Sophie Berman at 720-564-2678.
• Boulder Police Department – call the Boulder Police Tip Line at 303-441-1974. Please provide a way for an investigator to return your call.
• Erie Police Department – call 303-441-4444 and press 2 for the Erie Police Department. Please reference case report 26-004.
• Lafayette Police Department – contact Detective Anna Curran at 303-604-3504 or anna.curran@lafayetteco.gov.
• Longmont Public Safety – call Sergeant Todd Chambers at 303-651-8521.

Law enforcement agencies who assisted with this investigation include the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Arvada Police Department, Erie Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, Longmont Department of Public Safety, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (OR), Washington County Sheriff’s Office (OR), Hinckley Police Department (OH), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Related Case Numbers:

• Boulder County Sheriff’s Office: 25-04788
• Erie Police Department Case Number: 26-004
• Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (OR): 25-60097
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office (OR): 50 -25-15952
• Hinckley Police Department (OH): 05-25000307
• Federal Bureau of Investigations: 305G-DN-4154502

About the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab:

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office houses local members of the Colorado ICAC Task Force, comprised of Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab investigators from the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Longmont Department of Public Safety, Boulder Police Department, and Boulder County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to other responsibilities, investigators assigned to the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab are tasked with investigating child sexual exploitation cases and high technology crimes and provide digital forensics expertise and analysis on a wide range of cases.

About ICAC:

The Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is a group of local and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors located in and around the state of Colorado who are trained and dedicated to protecting children online by investigating and prosecuting crimes committed against children, facilitated by the internet, technology, and computer usage. Colorado ICAC is a member of the National ICAC Task Force.

If you suspect a child is being sexually exploited online, you can report it online at NCMEC’s CyberTipLine website or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.

As in every criminal case, these charges are merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

/s/Detective Sophie Berman

ERIE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Facebook | Instagram | X | LinkedIn
1000 Telleen Avenue | P.O. Box 510
Erie, CO 80516
www.erieco.gov/police | 303-441-4444

Media: PIO Amber Luttrell | 303-827-9648 |aluttrell@erieco.gov

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