Two Sierra Vista residents were arrested this month in connection with two separate child exploitation investigations.
On June 11, Sierra Vista Police detectives arrested 55-year-old Victor Valenzuela on suspicion of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a news release from Sierra Vista Police Department.
The arrest stemmed from an investigation that began in March 2023, when a service provider reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, that an account registered to the suspect had transmitted child sex abuse material over their servers, the news release said.
The Center forwarded the leads to Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children, which was then handed down to local agencies.
A search warrant was obtained for the suspect's residence. Detectives and special agents from Homeland Security Investigations secured additional evidence during the search.
In early July, SVPD received another tip from NCMEC about another Sierra Vista resident transferring child exploitation materials onto a social media platform, the news release said. On July 21, HSI special agents and SVPD detectives conducted a search warrant and arrested a female suspect.
The woman, identified as 44-year-old Jessica Schuermann, was booked into the Cochise County Jail on two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, bestiality, and possession of a dangerous drug.
