Texas frontier business
US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old man has been convicted of sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material, US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced.
Aaron Hernandez pleaded guilty on May 29.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña sentenced Hernandez to 360 and 240 months, respectively, for the manufacturing and possession of child pornography convictions. They will run partially concurrently for a total of 420 months in prison. In the session, the court also heard from the victim’s father, showing how Hernandez’s behavior greatly affected the family and that the children do not deserve this damage. Furthermore, Hernandez described himself as a monster, an animal and a pig. In handing down the prison sentences, the court noted that this was one of the most egregious forms of behavior it has seen and how his behavior destroyed the lives of the victim and her family and how Hernandez cannot do or say anything that will do it. better. Hernandez was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years of supervised release after completing his prison term. During this time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to limit his access to children and the Internet. Hernandez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began after law enforcement learned of a person in Laredo distributing child pornography through a WhatsApp account linked to Hernandez.
On October 30, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Hernandez’s home and seized his electronic equipment.
Hernandez admitted to sending a video containing child pornography on WhatsApp and possessing videos containing child pornography on his computer. Hernandez also admitted to inappropriately touching two minor relatives.
Authorities found 11 videos and 10 pictures containing child pornography on Hernandez’s devices. Of all the files, 11 included self-produced content where he sexually assaulted a minor relative on two separate occasions.
“A home should be a sanctuary for every child, not a place where their innocence is exploited by those who aim to protect it,” Hamdani said. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: those who commit reckless acts against children, especially those entrusted with their care, will be held accountable. We will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for victims and fight to protect them.”
“Children deserve to live in a safe environment – free of child predators. That’s especially true when they’re with their family members,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “Aaron Hernandez stole that safety from any child who was taken advantage of by his actions. The FBI and the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force continue to work tirelessly to bring to justice anyone who would harm a child.”
Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a US Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force.
Assistant US Attorney Christine A. Cortez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Children (PSC), a nationwide initiative that the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of exploitation and sexual abuse of children. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Secrecy Section lead the PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to find, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identify and rescue victims. . For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about online safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Updated on September 30, 2024