A 29-year-old male, Arthur Hector Fernandez III, has been accused of the sexual exploitation of two minors. The FBI obtained several videos showing a group of people exploiting both toddlers. Fernandez has been the only person identified so far, and the judge presiding over the case has ruled that Fernandez will have to remain in custody until his trial.
The relatives of the toddlers helped the FBI identify Fernandez, and both knew him beforehand. Both were in similar situations too, having accepted offers for Fernandez to look after their boys when they were unable to to arrange childcare.
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Who Is Arthur Hector Fernandez III?
Arthur Hector Fernandez III is a 29-year-old man from Houston, Texas. He used to work at the shopping mall Galleria, a major shopping destination in the state. He was mostly unknown to the general public and police, however, this changed when he was accused of sexually assaulting two toddlers in the bathroom of the mall.
What did Arthur Hector Fernandez III allegedly do?
Fernandez III is accused of sexually assaulting two minors in the bathroom of the Galleria shopping mall, filming himself and six other men participating in the act, and uploading the videos onto the dark web. These videos were eventually found by the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, which provided four videos to the FBI. Fernandez is currently the only person identified so far.
The victims in question are thought to be between two and three years old, which makes the case particularly disturbing. The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation found the videos on or around December 6, however, it’s thought that at least one incident took place on May 6, 2023.
How did the FBI find Arthur Hector Fernandez III?
After the FBI contacted their Houston department on December 7, they worked to identify both the victims and the perpetrators. They located one of the victims who looked similar to one of the toddlers in the video using Facebook and Instagram. When they asked her about the assault, she described the silver bracelets that Fernandez would often wear, which matched those found in some scenes of the videos. She also identified Fernandez’s Instagram, which showed pictures of him wearing the jewelry. Not long after, a criminal complaint was filed on December 14.
The FBI got a search warrant and raided Fernandez’s home, finding the bracelets and other items spotted in the video, such as a pair of white low-top Converse All-Star shoes. He was subsequently arrested on December 18 in Kingwood. The FBI also got in touch with the relative of the second victim, who described similar items.
Arthur Hector Fernandez III’s Instagram Account | Image via X
Both relatives explained that they’d left the victims with Fernandez. Court documents seen by FOX26 state that the relative of the first toddler also worked at the Galleria, and had been called into work on her day off. As she didn’t have time to find care for the boy, she brought him in with her, where Fernandez offered to look after the toddler. This was the only time where Fernandez was alone with the child.
The relative of the second toddler had a similar scenario. She would often bring her boy to work when she couldn’t find anyone to babysit, and Fernandez would offer to watch over him and walk around the mall to entertain him. This wasn’t the first time that Fernandez was present with the boy without the relative’s presence; it had happened once in December 2022, and again on October 31, 2023, on a trick-or-treating trip.
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What did the presiding judge say about the case?
The judge who is overseeing the case acted quickly when Fernandez was placed into custody, creating a court order that required Fernandez to remain in detention while he awaits his trial. In the order, seen by USA Today, the judge wrote:
“The evidence in this case is overwhelming and revolting. I cannot allow (him) to abuse any other minors and there are no conditions or combination of conditions that can alleviate a danger to the community. This is not a close call.”
