Independence Elementary School Teacher Charged With Child Pornography Offenses

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Independence, Mo., elementary school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses.

Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a seven-count federal indictment in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Hernandez was previously charged in a three-count criminal complaint with transportation of child pornography, production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Today's indictment includes those charges and four additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Hernandez. If you or your child believes they were a victim of Hernandez, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent/guardian call on your behalf. Your responses are voluntary. Based on your responses, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.

The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

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."