Former Elementary School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography Offenses
Dennis Adlai Hernandez pleaded guilty in federal court to 13 child pornography offenses involving 12 minor victims.
3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 19, 2026, 4:47 p.m. ET
Earlier reports
Aug 19, 2026, 4:53 p.m. ET
Former Elementary School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses
On August 19, 2026, Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 29, of Independence, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court to 13 child pornography offenses involving 12 minor victims, according to records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Hernandez, a former elementary school teacher and employee of two area school districts, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The alleged offenses took place between August 2022 and August 2025.
Under federal statutes, Hernandez faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on each count of production and attempted production, and up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the remaining two child pornography offenses. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled following the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Aug 19, 2026, 4:47 p.m. ETFirst report
Former Elementary School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses
According to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri, former elementary school teacher Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 29, of Independence, Missouri, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2026, to 13 federal child pornography offenses involving 12 minor victims. Hernandez was an employee of two area school districts. The case remains open and developing as a sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Court records state that Hernandez pleaded guilty to 11 counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The alleged offenses occurred between August 2022 and August 2025. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Under federal statutes, Hernandez faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on each count of production and attempted production, and up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the remaining two offenses. The official record notes that the final sentence will be determined by the court after the United States Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.
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Revision history
- Version 119 Aug 2026, 20:53current
First published.
- Version 119 Aug 2026, 20:47current
First published.
- Version 119 Aug 2026, 20:56current
First published.
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