U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal | U.S. Department of Justice
A Centerville man, originally from Texas, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Luis Nathan Hernandez Jr., aged 48, was found guilty of exploiting a minor under the age of 12 and creating child sexual abuse material between 2022 and March 2024. The material included depictions of sex acts performed by Hernandez on the victim.
In March 2024, Hernandez convinced the victim to send him nude photos and videos. A search conducted at his Centerville home in April 2024 uncovered significant evidence. Authorities discovered 598 files containing child sexual abuse material on his computer, originating from at least 71 known series. Additionally, approximately 500 images and 17 videos were found on two cell phones belonging to Hernandez.
Hernandez's criminal history includes a conviction in Texas for indecency with a child in 2004, which required him to register as a sex offender. He also pleaded guilty twice in 2013 for failing to register as a sex offender in Wayne and Appanoose counties.
Upon completing his prison sentence, Hernandez will serve a ten-year term of supervised release; there is no parole available in the federal system. He has also been ordered to pay $34,000 in restitution.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa. The investigation involved several agencies: the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Osceola Police Department, with support from the Centerville Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. It seeks to improve coordination among federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children online while identifying and rescuing victims.
Anyone with information about child sexual abuse is urged to contact the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
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