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Corona Man Tried to Lure 14-Year-Old Boy For Sex Via Grindr App: DA

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Dec. 22, 2020 By Christian Murray

A Corona man who allegedly met a 14-year-old boy online to solicit sex has been indicted on sex crime charges, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Eduardo Hernandez, 38, was indicted by a Queens County grand jury Monday and faces up to 7 years in prison.

According to the charges, Hernandez met an undercover cop on the Grindr app who was posing as a 14-year-old boy. Hernandez engaged in a number of sexually-explicit conversations and requested naked pictures of the boy and asked to meet him at a location in Queens.

When Hernandez arrived at the meeting spot, he was greeted by an undercover officer who pretended to be the 14-year-old. The defendant allegedly indicated he wanted to have sex with the teenager and was arrested.

Hernandez was hit with a 4-count indictment on charges such “as attempting to use a child in a sexual performance” and “attempted criminal sexual act in the second degree.”

The indictment was announced at the same time that a Manhattan man was charged for similar sex crimes.

Joseph Creegan, 49, allegedly met an undercover officer via the MEET24 app and engaged in multiple conversations between June 13, 2019 and Dec. 4, 2019, according to the charges. He offered the officer his phone number and he requested naked photos and a place to meet in Queens.

Creegan, who also faces 7 years in prison, was charged with “attempting to use a child in a sexual performance” and other sex crimes.

“These cases are very disturbing and reveal the extreme importance of law enforcement internet surveillance initiatives,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement. “This should serve as a warning for parents and guardians—be mindful of who your child interacts with online and monitor their access and activities.”