A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted Cleveland police officer Jourdan Hernandez on October 30 on felony charges of importuning and possessing criminal tools, more than a month after his arrest in an online investigation targeting adults who solicit minors. Hernandez, hired by the department in December 2024 and most recently assigned to the Third District, had already been relieved of duty since his September arrest.
According to FOX 8, Hernandez was suspected of chatting with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old, and investigators say he was identified through his social media account. The arrest stemmed from an investigation run by Cuyahoga County prosecutors and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in September. Prosecutors said Hernandez sent messages to the undercover officer he believed was 14 years old over a two-day span in June, according to cleveland.com.
Charges and a Court Appearance
A September 22 report from the outlet said Hernandez faced two counts of importuning and one count of possessing criminal tools, charges that were formalized in the October 30 indictment. He made his first appearance in Cuyahoga County court on September 24, the same account noted.
Bond reporting has varied: the September 22 article put Hernandez's bond at $100,000, while the September 24 report from the same outlet said he was given a $25,000 bond. It is not clear from available reporting whether the figure changed between those dates or which amount ultimately applied. His bond conditions bar him from using internet-connected devices, require GPS monitoring, and limit him to a curfew allowing him outside only between 6:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., the site's report states.
Conflicting Accounts of His Job Status
Hernandez's employment status has also been described inconsistently across coverage. FOX 8 reported that, per police, Hernandez is on unpaid leave pending adjudication of the case and is not working in any capacity within the division. That contrasts with the earlier cleveland.com report, which said the Cleveland Division of Police fired Hernandez shortly after his arrest — though the same article noted no termination announcement had been made and that he remained listed as a full-time employee in the state's police officer database at that time.
Cleveland's police discipline process operates separately from criminal court proceedings, meaning an officer can face internal discipline for a policy violation even without criminal charges, per Signal Cleveland. The outlet also reported that revised discipline policies approved by the Community Police Commission in 2025 were still being negotiated and had not yet taken effect.
A Similar Case Against a Former Officer
Hernandez's case follows another involving a former Cleveland officer. Richard Strunk, who worked for the department from May 17, 2002, until his termination in January 2022, was indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on 25 felony counts tied to alleged child sexual abuse material, according to WKYC. Court records in that case said the alleged offenses occurred between October 20, 2023, and January 6, 2025.
Under Ohio law, importuning is a third-degree felony for a first offense under the relevant statutory divisions, according to the text of Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.07. Possessing criminal tools is classified as a fifth-degree felony when circumstances indicate the item was intended for use in committing a felony, per Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.24. Neither statute establishes which specific provisions prosecutors allege apply in Hernandez's case. Hernandez is due back in court on November 18.
