Former Miramar police officer Jose Hernandez, 30, has pleaded guilty to an aggravated child abuse charge after being accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl he met on the dating app Tinder, reported Local 10 News. Hernandez was originally charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but a plea deal resulted in the change of charge.
The teen misrepresented her age on her Tinder profile claiming to be 23 and later, stating she was near her 19th birthday before the two met at a hotel for sex, according to an arrest warrant. The case came to light after the victim prompted a police intervention while experiencing a mental health crisis, during which text messages revealing the nature of her relationship with Hernandez were discovered by authorities,
Under the plea agreement announced Wednesday, Hernandez is sentenced to 10 years of probation and must surrender all his police certifications, as per the information from CBS News Miami. The agreement also stipulates that Hernandez enter a Mentally Disordered Sexual Offender Treatment Program, from which any removal would lead to a probation violation hearing.
While strict liability statutes mean Hernandez's lack of knowledge regarding the victim's true age does not constitute a defense, the fact that the minor lied was considered a mitigating factor. "Prosecutors are allowed to take factors such as those into account in deciding what is just — what is most in the interest of justice," former prosecutor Maria Schneider told CBS News Miami. As part of the sentencing, he is also restricted from working with minors, or in any profession that requires wearing a uniform.
After the hearing, Hernandez avoided the press and provided no comments when approached. His previous suspension without pay, pending the case's outcome, was confirmed by the Miramar Police Department. Reflecting on the arrest and the subsequent guilty plea, Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss expressed his sympathy to the victim and those affected, "Our thoughts are with them, and we are committed to supporting them and ensuring that justice is served," Moss said, according to a statement obtained by NBC Miami.
