Carnival worker pleads guilty in video taped sexual assaults on toddlers

A traveling carnival worker from Chicago who video recorded his repeated sexual assaults on two toddlers has pled guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault charges and has been sentenced to 41 years in state prison following an investigation and prosecution by the State’s Attorney’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced today. 

Wilfredo Elias, 29, of Chicago, pled guilty to the charges of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault in connection with the assaults on the two children, which occurred multiple times in 2011 when Elias was babysitting the children, who were two and three years old at the time.

According to prosecutors, Elias had video recorded several of the sexual assaults and stored the images on an electronic memory storage device.  Authorities began investigating when the images were discovered by a family member and the police were contacted. 

Cook County authorities had obtained an arrest warrant for Elias and he was taken into custody last September in Missouri while traveling with a carnival.  He was extradited to Chicago where he has been held without bond pending the outcome of his case. 

Task force investigators recovered multiple video images showing Elias assaulting both of the victims.  Investigators were able to identify both victims and learned that they had both been left in the care of the defendant at various points last year.

Elias received a 31 year sentence in one case and a 10 year sentence in the second case for a total of 41 years.  Under Illinois law, he will be required to serve 85 percent of the sentence. 

“Given the heinous nature of the sexual assaults against these defenseless children, we are pleased that this defendant will be behind bars for a very long time and unable to prey on any other potential child victims,” said State’s Attorney Alvarez. 

State’s Attorney Alvarez thanked the members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Chicago Police Department and Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Ciaccia for their hard work with the investigation.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office administers the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which investigates and prosecutes criminal acts such as child pornography, sexual solicitation of a child or missing child investigations.  The task force also offers guidance and information for parents and educators on internet safety.  To report a child-related internet crime call (312) 492-3655.