Well, here's a story that'll make your skin crawl. A former Iowa Democratic delegate, school board hopeful, and Iowa State University employee got himself arrested after allegedly trying to arrange an illegal meetup with someone he thought was a 14 year old. Plot twist: the "kid" was actually an undercover cop. Surprise! As first reported here, Juan Himar Hernandez, 48, now faces two felony charges thanks to a sting operation run by the Boone County Sheriff's Office.
According to authorities, Hernandez allegedly chatted up what he believed was a teenager through social media, then tried to arrange an in person meeting at a location in Boone, Iowa. He was hit with Class D felony charges for grooming and enticing a minor under 16. Court records reportedly allege he attempted to "solicit, seduce, lure, or entice" the person into participating in illegal activity. He was booked into the Boone County Jail on July 21st, posted bond, and got a court date set for July 30th.
Now let's talk about this guy's resume, because it reads like a civics textbook written by someone trying way too hard. Hernandez had applied for an interim vacancy on the Ottumwa Board of Education back in June 2025, but the district went with local businessman Dusty Ware instead. Undeterred, he ran for a seat in the November 2025 school board election. He pulled in roughly 1,150 votes but still lost. That failed campaign happened less than a year before cops caught him in their net.
Libs of TikTok dug into his professional background and discovered he worked at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach as an assistant program director and community development specialist. His unit's public materials described work involving "civic engagement, equity, demographic changes, community leadership, and diversity training." After the arrest became public, the account claimed Iowa State scrubbed his webpage. "Don't worry, we have the receipts!" they posted on X, noting the university hadn't confirmed whether he was still employed. However, a separate project page hosted by Iowa State apparently still listed him in his role.
But wait, there's more on the resume! Hernandez also sat on Iowa's Commission of Latino Affairs, a position he received through an appointment by Republican Governor Kim Reynolds back in 2022. State records showed his term was supposed to end on April 30th, 2026. He previously served as president of a local League of United Latin American Citizens council and was listed among Iowa supporters of Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.
So to recap: this guy was collecting civic positions like they were Pokemon cards, running for school board, teaching communities about equity and leadership, and allegedly spending his free time trying to arrange illegal meetups with minors. The hypocrisy here is absolutely staggering, and thankfully law enforcement was one step ahead.
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