By Bill Parry
A Sunnyside man was sentenced to two to six years in prison Monday for possessing child pornography.
Ernest Hernandez, 29, had thousands of images and hundreds of videos of child sex abuse on his home computer and data storage drives, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
“Child pornography strikes at the heart of innocence, sexually victimizing the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society,” Brown said. “The videos and images on the defendant’s computer and portable hard drives were vile and extremely disturbing. Let this be a warning to others: If they use the Internet for their own sexual gratification and engage in activity that involves children, they will be punished.”
Hernandez, a first-time offender, pleaded guilty in March to promoting sexual performance of a child and admitted he has been looking at child pornography since he was 17. On Monday, acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Melendez sentenced the defendant to two to six years in prison.
According to court records, a forensic examination of the defendant’s computer and hard drives uncovered nearly 3,000 images and more than 600 videos of children engaged in sex acts.
“My office is committed to protecting children,” Brown said. “It is important for the public to remember that the images being exchanged are, and for all intents and purposes, crime scene photos as they depict real children being cruelly victimized both physically and emotionally.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
