Texas man sentenced in New Mexico to 10 years for child exploitation

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A west Texas man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for child exploitation-related offenses.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Doña Ana, New Mexico, County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Cruces, New Mexico, Police Department assisted in the investigation

Juan Hernandez, 46, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

HSI special agents arrested Hernandez on Feb. 28, 2014, on a criminal complaint alleging that he engaged in the online solicitation of a child under the age of 16 years between September 2012 and June 2013. The criminal complaint also charged Hernandez with traveling from El Paso to Anthony, New Mexico, in June 2013 with the intention of having illicit sexual contact with a child under the age of 16 years.

According to court records, Hernandez met a child victim through an Internet social networking website in September 2012. The two began communicating regularly by text messaging on cellphones in May 2013. Hernandez was arrested on New Mexico state charges in the early hours of June 22, 2013, after deputies of the Doña Ana, New Mexico, County Sheriff’s Office found him with the child victim at a park in Anthony, New Mexico. 

In July 2013, HSI obtained federal search warrants for the cellphones seized from Hernandez and the child victim. Information obtained through the search warrants revealed that Hernandez engaged in sexually explicit communication with the child victim. It also revealed that Hernandez was aware that the child victim was younger than 16 years and that prior to meeting the child victim, Hernandez told the child victim that he was 17, 18 and 22 years old at various times.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.