Tulare Man Found Guilty on 32 Counts of Child Molestation, Faces Life Sentence

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 10 months ago on

October 24, 2024

Joshua Hernandez, 34, was found guilty on 32 felony counts of child molestation on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Tulare County SO)

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A Tulare man was found guilty Tuesday on 32 felony counts of child molestation, including charges of sodomy and lewd acts involving a child under 14, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said in a Thursday news release.

After a multi-day trial, a jury convicted Joshua Hernandez, 34, of one count of sodomy, three counts of oral copulation, eight counts of sexual penetration, and 19 counts of committing lewd acts on a child, the release said.

Hernandez was also convicted on a charge of possessing child pornography.

The offenses took place between 2014 and 2019, when the victim was between 8 and 12 years old, prosecutors said.

Hernandez faces over 232 years to life in prison and will be sentenced on Dec. 11.

The court also ruled that he must register as a sex offender for life.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Chelsea Wayt, with the investigation led by Tulare Police Sgt. Matt Muller and DA Investigator Christopher Porter.

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Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.