Man accused of trafficking 15-year-old victim, using her for sex, police say

Ray Hernandez, 28, charged with continuous trafficking of persons

SAN ANTONIO – A 28-year-old man was arrested on a human-trafficking charge on the city’s West Side.

Police said Ray Hernandez kept a 15-year-old he met online and used her for sex for several days.

The victim told police she met Hernandez on a social media site. She said she had received a ride from Hernandez, who then took her to a motel room, where she was forced to have sex with an individual who was in the room.

Shortly after, while Hernandez was still in the room, Hernandez received payment from the individual, police said.

The victim was then taken to another location, where she was kept for several days, authorities said.

Hernandez, along with several other individuals, had sex with the 15-year-old victim on a regular basis, police said.

Police said they aren’t sure how the teen was able to escape, but SVU detectives were able to interview her and corroborated her story.

Hernandez is charged with continuous trafficking of persons, which is a first-degree felony and, if convicted, carries a punishment of 25 to 99 years in prison.

Authorities are still collecting evidence and more arrests may follow, San Antonio police said.


About the Author:

Ivan Herrera has worked as a journalist in San Antonio since 2016. His work for KSAT 12 and KSAT.com includes covering breaking news of the day, as well as producing Q&As and content for the "South Texas Pride" and "KSAT Money" series.