A Laredo man was sentenced on Monday to 35 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Aaron Hernandez, 25, pleaded guilty in May for the production and possession of child pornography. His crimes, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña noted, were among the "most disturbing" she had encountered in her career.
Hernandez, who admitted to producing child pornography involving a young relative, described himself as a "monster" and an "animal" during the proceedings. But Judge Saldaña made it clear that no words of remorse could undo the destruction he had caused. "There is nothing Hernandez can do or say that will make it better," she said in delivering the sentence.
At the sentencing, the father of one of Hernandez's victims shared the emotional toll that Hernandez's actions had taken on the family. He spoke of shattered trust and irreparable harm because the abuse came from someone close to the family. "Children don't deserve this," the father said.
As part of his sentence, Hernandez was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to one of his known victims. After serving his prison term, he will be subject to 10 years of supervised release, during which he will face strict restrictions, including limited access to the internet and children. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Hernandez's crimes came to light in late 2023, when law enforcement officials linked him to a WhatsApp account that was being used to distribute child pornography. Investigators executed a search warrant at his home in October of that year, seizing electronic devices that contained incriminating evidence. In total, authorities recovered 11 videos and 10 images of child sexual abuse material, some of which were self-produced and depicted Hernandez sexually assaulting a minor family member on two separate occasions.
The investigation, led by the FBI and the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force, uncovered the full extent of Hernandez's abuse, which included both digital crimes and physical acts against two minor relatives.
Hernandez remains in custody and will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence.
Statistics from Children's Advocacy Center reveal that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. Despite these numbers, the vast majority of cases go unreported, with 3 out of 5 children never disclosing the abuse due to factors like fear, shame, or lack of awareness. More than 90% of child victims are abused by someone they know and trust, which further complicates the likelihood of disclosure and reporting.
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