Mexican National Sentenced to 600 Months for Sex Crimes Against a Child

A Mexican national was sentenced Thursday to 600 months in federal prison for the sexual exploitation of a child and for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Upon release from prison, Rogelio Hernandez Rodriguez, 30, will be placed on supervised release for life and required to register as a sex offender. When handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell noted that the law is insistent that such acts are severely punished.

“Rogelio Hernandez was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He will now spend the next 50 years in prison for his crimes against a child victim,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Investigators, attorneys, and victim advocates are committed to providing justice and healing resources for this young child. Our Project Safe Childhood initiative gets child predators off the streets, and it will continue full speed ahead.”

A federal jury convicted Hernandez on Oct. 24, 2019, of exploiting the minor victim and inducing the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Rodriguez was further found guilty of knowingly possessing child pornography. The 524 sexually graphic images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of the prepubescent victim and were stored on hard drives and multiple SD cards.

"Rogelio Hernandez willfully preyed upon a child victim and exploited their innocence," said Melissa Godbold, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Oklahoma City Field Office. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate child predators who sexually exploit and abuse young victims."

"The safety of children is priority for our officers here at the Wagoner Police Department. No child should have to endure sexual abuse. Our office initially investigated Hernandez's crimes, and we are thankful for today’s sentence," said Lt. Detective Benjamin Blair of the Wagoner Police Department.

Hernandez remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The Wagoner Police Department and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan V. Reininger, Dennis A. Fries and Shannon Cozzoni prosecuted the case.