FirstAlerts

Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Travel Act Violation

Wilson Garcia Hernandez, 29, admitted to using interstate facilities to arrange a sexual encounter with a person he believed was a minor.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 28, 2026, 8:22 p.m. ET
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. β€” Wilson Garcia Hernandez, 29, a Honduran national who overstayed his visa and has lived illegally in the United States since October 2024, guilty on August 28, 2026, to violating the Travel Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. He faces up to 16 years in prison. Court documents state that in April 2026, an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) exchanged emails with Hernandez after he responded to an advertisement for commercial sex dates. The agent posed as a female escort and told Hernandez she was 16 years old. Hernandez acknowledged her age and continued messaging, eventually arranging to meet at a public park in the Harrisonburg, Virginia area and pay $170 for one hour of sex. When he arrived, officers arrested him and found approximately $200 in cash and a condom. The announcement was made by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of HSI Washington, D.C. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan. Hernandez is presumed innocent until sentencing, and no sentencing date has been announced.

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  1. Version 129 Aug 2026, 00:22current

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