Brownwood News – District Attorney Micheal Murray reported that on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, Fernando Hernandez pled guilty to the offense of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and received a sentence of thirty (30) years in prison. Murray reported that this offense requires that a minimum of half of the sentence be served before a person becomes eligible for parole, but that eligibility for parole does not necessarily mean that Hernandez will be released once he becomes eligible.

According to a news release from the District Attorney’s office, First Assistant District Attorney, Elisha Bird, began presenting evidence to a jury about Hernandez’s inappropriate sexual contact with two family members and a girl who had been involved in Hernandez’s youth ministry.   Although the State had strong evidence of Hernandez’s guilt, a decision to reach a plea agreement was reached in order to minimize the impact of the trial process on the victims and their families and to ensure that Hernandez would not be able to appeal the sentence.

In order to receive a plea agreement, Murray reported, Hernandez had to agree that he would not attempt to fight his conviction through the appellate courts. Murray indicated that this ensures that the victims will not have to go through another trial and that Hernandez will remain incarcerated on his sentence.

Representatives from the families of all three victims were present in the courtroom when Hernandez was sentenced, and two of the victims chose to directly address Hernandez after the plea.

During the plea agreement, Hernandez also changed his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty.” Murray’s office hopes that this acknowledgement of guilt on the part of Hernandez will also help the victims and their families during the healing process.

You can read our previous stories on the arrest of Hernandez in August of 2018 by going to THIS LINK.

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