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Hartford County resident Hernan Ayala of Manchester appeared in Hartford federal court on Thursday, May 30 in connection to child exploitation charges, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Friday, May 31.
According to federal officials, in March 2024, Manchester Police received a complaint regarding a young girl who Ayala was allegedly sexually abusing. The girl told officers that Ayala had engaged in sexual conduct with her for over eight years and had recorded it on his cellphone, officials added.
On the same day, police searched Ayala's home and seized several devices, including his iPhone, which was found to have several videos and images of him engaging in sexual conduct with the girl, according to federal officials.
Ayala, who has been detained since his arrest on state charges since Saturday, March 9, is now federally charged with:
- Sexual exploitation of children, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum prison term of 30 years;
- Possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.
The case is now being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Manchester Police Department, the Glastonbury Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, officials said.
Any other cases of child exploitation can be reported by clicking here.
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