Former Elementary School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former elementary school teacher and employee of two area school districts pleaded guilty to 13 child pornography offenses involving 12 minor victims. Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 29, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty today in federal court 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 for offenses alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025. Under federal statutes, Hernandez is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on each count of production and attempted production of child pornography and up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two remaining child pornography offenses. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."