Yester Orellana-Rivera, age 20, will remain in custody pending trial after a court granted the State’s request for detention on April 15. Orellana-Rivera is charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse following allegations that he engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl he met through Instagram.
The case has drawn attention to issues surrounding online safety and child protection. Authorities said the victim reported meeting Orellana-Rivera last year via Instagram and told him she was a minor. According to officials, Orellana-Rivera traveled from Indiana to meet her and then had unlawful sexual contact with her.
Police executed a search warrant for the defendant’s Instagram account and found messages between him and the victim discussing their ages, plans to meet, and sexual conduct. A DNA sample taken from the victim at the hospital matched Orellana-Rivera. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities ask anyone with information about this incident to contact the Peoria Heights Police Department at 309-688-3461.
The case comes as Peoria County continues to serve thousands of students across its schools. The average student-to-teacher ratio in Peoria County was 15-to-1 during the 2022-23 school year, with over 27,000 students enrolled among nearly 1,850 full-time faculty members according to data from the Illinois State Board of Education. Teacher absenteeism rates were recorded at 32.3% for county schools during that period compared to Illinois’ statewide average of 35.6% as reported by state education officials.
Diversity within Peoria County’s educational system is reflected in recent enrollment figures: Dunlap High School had the highest number of white students (873), Richwoods High School led in multiracial student enrollment (182), Lincoln School had the most Hispanic students (218), while Peoria High School recorded the highest Black student enrollment (798) during the same academic year according to official statistics.
Authorities say they will continue their investigation into this case as they seek additional information.
