El Salvador man sent to federal prison for 30 years for sexually assaulting a child in Iowa

SIOUX CITY – An El Salvador man residing in Sioux City, Iowa, who sexually assaulted a child was sentenced July 28, 2022, to 30 years in federal prison.

Juan Pablo Hernandez, age 44, originally from El Salvador but living in Sioux City, received the prison term after a March 10, 2022, guilty plea to aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

At the plea hearing, Hernandez admitted to driving from South Sioux City, Nebraska to Sioux City with a minor under the age of 12 to sexually assault the minor. Hernandez took sexually explicit photographs of the minor.

Hernandez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hernandez was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.