The grand jury of Hendry County has indicted a 38-year-old Clewiston man for crimes he's accused of committing on a child and multiple counts of child pornography involving toddlers.
State Attorney Amira Fox said the indictment alleges that between 2023 and 2024 in Hendry County, John Eric Hernandez committed sexual battery on a child younger than 12 years old by penetration of the child's mouth.
According to a video announcing the indictment on Fox's Facebook , Hernandez reportedly molested the child by touching their genitals and forcing the victim to perform lewd acts on him.
The indictment also accused Hernandez of producing, directing or promoting a performance of sexual conduct by the child on multiple occasions.
According to officials, on one or more occasions between Oct. 1 and Dec. 10 in 2024, he possessed 10 or more child sexual abuse images (including photographs, motion pictures, exhibitions, shows, representations or other presentations).
Hernandez was arrested in December 2024.
According to the state attorney's office, Hernandez was indicted on the following charges:
- Five counts of capital sexual battery on a child less than 12 years of age (all of which are capital felonies)
- Two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation (which are life felonies)
- Seven counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child (all second-degree felonies)
- Five counts of possession of child sexual abuse images (each count being 10 images or more)
The total number of counts Hernandez is facing in the indictment is 19.
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