SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego woman who worked as a case manager in an office within the Department of Homeland Security is facing charges for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct with a detainee at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility.
Shantal Hernandez, 36, appeared in federal court Thursday, August 10 after being charged with sexual abuse of a ward.
The complaint says Hernandez was employed at the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, an independent sector within DHS that oversaw immigration detention centers and handled complaints about potential violations of prison standards or other misconduct by DHS or contract personnel.
Hernandez's duties were to manage the complaints of ICE detainees in various detention centers in the San Diego area.
According to the U.S. Attorney Southern District of California's Office, the investigation against Hernandez began when ICE agents received information that she had been spending an unusual amount of time with a detainee identified as I.K.N. at the Otay Mesa prison.
ICE agents say they gathered phone records from the prison and learned that Hernandez and the detainee had a significant number of sexually explicit phone calls and communicated electronically.
The complaint alleges the two of them talked about an ongoing relationship and Hernandez told I.K.N. she recorded a video of one of their sexual encounters. This prompted agents to execute a search warrant, where they found a video as such.
“The alleged conduct cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Those in a position of authority over immigration detainees must be held to the highest standard.”
“Hernandez’ main purpose as a DHS OIDO case manager was to promote safe and humane conditions within immigration detention,” said Jeffrey Gilgallon, special agent in charge for the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
“However, she allegedly abandoned that oversight role, instead using her position to engage in prohibited sexual activity with an ICE detainee in one of our detention facilities. OPR is fully committed to enforcing ICE’s zero-tolerance policy against sexual abuse in our detention facilities and aggressively pursuing those DHS employees who violate the law, no matter their role or title.”
Hernandez is scheduled to attend court again on Tuesday, August 15 at 10 a.m. for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt.
If convicted, Hernandez can face up to 15 years in prison with a $250,000 fine.
