A former Iowa Democratic delegate and longtime Iowa State University employee is facing serious felony charges after allegedly attempting to arrange illegal sexual activity with someone he thought was a 14-year-old child.
Juan Himar Hernandez, 48, was arrested following an undercover operation conducted by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office in Boone, Iowa. The person he allegedly communicated with through social media was not a child at all, but an undercover law enforcement officer.
Hernandez now faces two Class D felony charges: grooming and enticing a minor under 16 for a sexual purpose. Court records allege he attempted to “solicit, seduce, lure, or entice” the person he believed to be a child to participate in an illegal sex act.
As originally reported, the arrest took place on July 21st, with Hernandez subsequently transported to the Boone County Jail. He was later released after posting bond, with an initial court appearance scheduled for July 30th.
Before his arrest, Hernandez had been active in Iowa’s civic and political landscape. He applied in June 2025 to fill an interim vacancy on the Ottumwa Board of Education, but district officials selected local businessman Dusty Ware for the seat. Hernandez then ran as a candidate in the November 2025 school board election, competing for one of three open seats. He received approximately 1,150 votes but did not win, finishing behind the three successful candidates.
His professional background was equally prominent. Iowa State University materials identified Hernandez as an assistant program director and community development specialist with the university’s Extension and Outreach operation. That unit’s work included civic engagement, equity, demographic changes, community leadership, and diversity training. Following the arrest, a project page hosted by Iowa State continued to list him in that role.
Hernandez also held a governor-appointed seat on Iowa’s Commission of Latino Affairs. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds announced his appointment in 2022, with his term listed as running through April 30th, 2026.
His political ties ran deep. He was previously listed among Iowa supporters of Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign and had served as president of a local League of United Latin American Citizens council.
The case is a stark reminder of how undercover law enforcement operations targeting online predators can reach individuals embedded within public institutions and community organizations. Hernandez’s background spanning education, diversity initiatives, and appointed government roles makes the charges all the more striking.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no trial date has been publicly announced.