Ex-Waukegan school district employee accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old

A former Waukegan Unit District 60 employee faces felony charges alleging he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl, authorities said.

Gabriel Valadez, 26, of Darien is accused of video chatting with the girl and sending photographs and videos, "all sexual in nature," according to Chicago police. Authorities say he also forced the victim to touch him inappropriately.

Valadez was arrested Feb. 19 in Waukegan after the victim identified him as the offender, police said. He is charged with grooming, exploitation of a child under 13, and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 13.

According to a statement on the District 60 website Friday, Valadez worked as an administrative assistant at the Lincoln Center, which houses administration offices, from August 2017 until his voluntary resignation Feb. 25. District officials said he did not interact with students during his employment.

"While the allegations are unsettling, we wish to reiterate to parents that this employee did not work in our schools, and had no contact with Waukegan students," the statement said. "We take any matter concerning the potential safety of our students seriously. We have no reason to believe that any of the alleged offenses are related to Waukegan students, or that this individual acted inappropriately during his time in Waukegan."

The district followed routine procedures during Valadez's hiring and had "no basis for denying him a position for which he was fully qualified," according to the statement.

As of Friday, district officials said they had not been contacted by Chicago police about Valadez, his employment or the charges filed against him. They were became aware of the information after a news report.

Valadez is being held without bail at the Cook County jail, according to the sheriff's office. His next court date is March 12.