Former KC Area Teacher Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography

A former elementary school teacher and employee of two Kansas City area school districts has pleaded guilty to 13 child pornography offenses involving 12 minor victims.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri says that 29-year-old Dennis Hernandez, of Independence, entered his guilty pleas 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.

The offenses were 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 porn and up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two remaining child porn offenses.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood