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Las Cruces Man Charged with Child Exploitation Linked to Bounty Hunter Case

KVIA••Gabrielle Lopez
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Matthew Esai Hernandez, the son of an alleged Las Cruces bounty hunter, has been charged with federal child exploitation offenses. The charges arose during an investigation into his father, Robert Jay Hernandez, who is accused of human trafficking and exploiting individuals through forced labor and sexual acts. Federal agents discovered evidence on Matthew's cellphone indicating he engaged in sexually explicit communications with individuals posing as minors and possessed child sexual abuse material. He faces serious charges, including attempted coercion of minors and possession of child pornography, with potential penalties ranging from 25 years to life in prison. A trial date has yet to be established.

Key Details: • Matthew Esai Hernandez faces charges for attempted coercion of minors and possession of child pornography. • If convicted, he could receive a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. • No trial date has been set as of now.

las-cruces child-exploitation human-trafficking federal-charges bounty-hunter

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Las CrucesJustice DepartmentFBIMatthew Esai HernandezRobert Jay Hernandez

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