Patricio Illanes, a former teacher in Colorado with a 15-year career, was arrested on Monday and is facing 50 counts related to the sexual exploitation of children.
“This individual worked at a school in Colorado,” stated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sophie Berman, adding that several boys were misled by the pretext of hypnosis sessions.
The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reported that the 39-year-old allegedly took photos of boys instructed to “act out a script” in front of a green screen mimicking a hypnotic state, and then later edited these images for his own gratification.
So far, investigators have identified 16 victims, but they continue to look for more.
Four of these victims reported to authorities that they were minors during their encounters with Illanes. They shared that the suspect had coaxed them into removing their clothing and engaging in sexually explicit activities.
Berman, who is part of the sheriff’s forensic lab, mentioned that the investigation began in September 2025 after alerts about a social media account involved in creating and distributing explicit content were received.
Upon tracing the account back to Illanes, authorities examined his personal phone and discovered several explicit videos of minors shared via encrypted messaging platforms.
They also found images of students dressed in school attire, appearing to be hypnotized.
Berman noted that Illanes, who has worked with children in various high schools and at least one middle school, was put on administrative leave from his position in Arvada, Colorado, once his employer was informed of the investigation.
Diego Pantojas, a North Carolina resident, shared his experience, recalling that Illanes had complimented him and sought his information. Pantojas recounted joining an online hypnosis community when he was 16 and later engaging in inappropriate chats with Illanes, who was in his thirties at the time.
Pantojas mentioned Illanes exposed him to pictures of boys in a hypnotic state, some undressed or in their underwear.
He also described receiving sexual messages from Illanes that encouraged him to respond in kind. Though he tried to forget the experience, Pantojas reported receiving an email from Detective Berman three years later, informing him that he was among those in Illanes’ files.
Pantojas hopes to inspire other victims to come forward by sharing his story. “Yes, it hurt. Did I cry over this? Yes,” he said, but expressed relief at seeing Illanes apprehended and expected to face justice.
Meanwhile, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is conducting another investigation into an adult who is considered a person of interest in this case.
Berman encouraged anyone with potential information or concerns regarding Illanes to reach out. “Please report it,” she urged.
If anyone has more information about Illanes, they can contact Detective Sophie Berman at the Arvada Police Department or the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
For further inquiries, people can also reach out to the Boulder Police Department’s tip line, the Lafayette Police Department, or Longmont Public Safety.
