Fired Silverado softball coach faces federal sex charges

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Published Thursday, July 12, 2012 | 1:38 p.m.

Updated Thursday, July 12, 2012 | 3:53 p.m.

Federal authorities have filed charges against a former Silverado High School softball coach accused of having an affair with one of his players and exchanging sexually explicit text messages and photographs with her.

An indictment handed up Tuesday charges Albert S. Hernandez, 43, Las Vegas, with with eight counts of sexual exploitation of a child and three counts of transporting child pornography. Daniel G. Bogden, U.S. Attorney for Nevada, announced the indictments this morning.

Clark County School District Police arrested Hernandez off campus May 31 without incident.

The investigation began April 23 after the softball player’s father contacted police about what he suspected was an inappropriate relationship between his daughter and Hernandez.

During the investigation police say they found numerous inappropriate and graphic texts and photos on the victim’s phone between her and Hernandez that occurred as early as January.

According to the indictment, the text messages were exchanged between Hernandez and the victim on Dec. 25, 2011, and Jan. 29, Feb. 1-2, 2012.

The student's mother told police Hernandez acted as a mentor and father figure to her daughter, and that her daughter claimed she and the coach maintained a player-coach relationship.

School district spokeswoman Amanda Fulkerson said Hernandez had been a softball coach at Silverado since 2009. He became head coach this season. The school district has terminated without pay his employment, which was temporary based on the length of each season, Fulkerson said.

Hernandez is in federal custody and was to appear today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Johnston.

If convicted, Hernandez faces 15 years minimum on each sexual exploitation count and five years minimum on each child pornography count.

Jessica Walsh, Clark County chief deputy district attorney, said because of the federal charges, the state would not be going forward with charges it has filed against Hernandez.