Kerman man arrested in child assault case after posing online as teen

Kerman police say a 28-year-old man was arrested after investigators concluded he allegedly used a fake teenage identity online to sexually assault a child, a case that now has them looking for possible additional victims. Anthony Hernandez was taken into custody Friday after detectives traced months of social media contact between him and the child.

The arrest has raised alarms well beyond one home or one school circle. Detectives believe Hernandez may have reached out to other local children as well, widening the case from a single allegation into a broader question about how someone can use digital platforms to gain access to minors while hiding behind a false profile. In a close-knit Fresno County community like Kerman, that kind of deception can move through parent groups and neighborhood conversations fast, but it can also stay hidden from adults until police step in.

Investigators said the case began months earlier, when they learned Hernandez was communicating with the child through social media. Police say the false teen identity was part of the alleged scheme, a tactic that can make an offender seem familiar, harmless or age-appropriate to a young person who does not yet have the tools to spot manipulation. That online masking is what makes grooming cases especially dangerous: the first contact may look like ordinary messaging, not a criminal approach.

The investigation is still active, and police are urging anyone with information, or anyone who thinks they may have been victimized, to contact investigators directly. That call for more information suggests officers do not see the arrest as the end of the story. Instead, they are trying to determine whether Hernandez used the same method with other children in Kerman or nearby parts of Fresno County.

For parents and school staff, the case is a reminder that child safety today includes what happens on phones, gaming apps and social platforms, not just on school grounds or in public places. A teenager’s name, age or profile picture can be fabricated in seconds, and a trusted-looking account can still be a stranger’s cover. In a county where many families know one another through classrooms, church groups and youth sports, that digital disguise can be enough to put a child at risk before anyone realizes what is happening.