Edinburgh DJ dubbed 'every parent's nightmare' after recording schoolgirl performing sex acts

Dave Angelo Valdez convinced the 14-year-old victim to perform solo sex acts for him while secretly recording the images displayed on his laptop screen on his mobile phone.

Valdez, 25, also sent the child several videos of him performing sex acts during the sordid contact on the popular chat sites Emerald and Skype.

The shocking footage of the teenage girl was said to have ran to around 20 hours and was discovered when police raided Valdez’s home in relation to child abuse images being downloaded in November 2021.

Valdez, from Edinburgh, is a popular dance DJ and has been a regular on the city’s club scene for the past three years and has played headline sets at several of the capital’s main venues. He pleaded guilty to four child sex abuse offences at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and returned to the dock for sentencing on Monday.

Dave Angelo Valdez, 25, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court. | Alexander Lawrie

Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss said the victim targeted by Valdez was “particularly vulnerable” and his explanation for the offending was “self-serving and lacking in any remorse”.

The sheriff said: “You possessed a significant quantity of the most vile kind of indecent images and videos of children. Worse, you had nearly 20 hours of indecent videos of the complainer in charge three.

“That was a charge of where you groomed and manipulated her performing sexual acts that you recorded. You caused her significant and persistent harm. You are every parent’s nightmare.

“You used the internet to take advantage of children in their own homes in secret. We may never know the full extent of the harm you caused.”

Valdez was jailed for a total of 40 months across all charges and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Solicitor Matthew Nicholson said his client had been working in the hospitality trade and though he “fully accepts his involvement” he found it difficult to explain “how and why he committed these offences”.

Previously the court was told the DJ contacted the child, who lives in England, on the Emerald chat app and soon began asking her to send him indecent images of herself. The chats moved to Skype and Valdez began filming the live footage of the girl “touching herself” on his mobile phone without her knowledge.

The court was also told Valdez had sent the youngster between five and 10 videos of him carrying out a solo sex act. During the police raid on his home officers discovered around 2,000 images and videos of children being sexually abused including several hundred rated as Category A - the worst end of the spectrum.

The police investigation also found Valdez had made “43 first generation” videos of the teenage victim during their online video contact.

Valdez pleaded guilty to possessing, and to taking, or permitting to be taken, indecent images of children between April 23, 2019 and November 10, 2021. He also admitted to two offences of causing children to engage in sexual activity and causing them to look at sexual images, all between January 1 and March 31, 2021.