U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced that a Mission man has been sent to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. 31-year-old Edgar Aaron Hernandez pleaded guilty on March 31, according to a news release. Authorities say Hernandez admitted to requesting nude photographs from numerous child victims using a social media platform and engaging in this conduct while at work.

Hernandez reportedly possessed more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse across various platforms. Hernandez was sentenced to 120 months in prison with seven years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane also ordered Hernandez to pay $3,000 to a known victim. During that time, Hernandez will be required to comply with numerous requirements designed to limit his access to children and the Internet.

Hernandez will also be required to register as a sex offender. Authorities say a 13-year-old child reported sending nude images to a man in Texas named Edgar on social media between April 1 and April 4, 2022. The man reportedly claimed to be 17 and threatened to distribute the images if the victim did not send more.

Law enforcement identified the IP and tracked it to a residence in Mission connected to Hernandez. Authorities contacted Hernandez at Mission High School where he worked as a substitute teacher on December 5, 2022. According to a news release, Hernandez admitted to believing the child was 13 and admitted to soliciting sexually explicit images and videos and threatening the victim when she refused to send more.

Hernandez also admitted to soliciting images and videos from other minor children over the last two years. If the victims refused, Hernandez threatened to expose them to family and friends. Some of the minor victims reportedly told Hernandez they would harm themselves or commit suicide if he exposed them. Hernandez admitted this did not bother him and he would block the victim before looking for more victims.

Authorities say Hernandez will remain in custody while awaiting transfer to a United States Bureau of Prison facility that will be determined in the near future.