LOGAN — A 43-year-old Logan man arrested for physically and sexually abusing two young girls years ago has accepted a plea deal. Jezer Onan Hernandez was originally arrested in July 2023, following an investigation by Logan City police officers.
According to court records, Hernandez appeared Jan. 26 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He pleaded “no contest” to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony. Five remaining charges were dismissed as part of the agreement.
The plea meant he conceded the alleged charges occurred without admitting guilt or offering a defense. It is still viewed as a guilty plea in court.
The investigation into Hernandez began on Nov. 27, 2017, according to prosecutors. Police were called to a domestic dispute where the victim reported being groped and molested on multiple occasions over several years.
Officers questioned Hernandez at the time. He claimed to have no memory of the allegations, partially blaming his actions on drinking alcohol.
Hernandez was booked into jail at the time, according to court documents. He was later released though, after his wife hired an attorney, who submitted a statement from the victim, claiming she had lied to investigators.
On April 19, 2023, the victim went to the police department, asking for the case to be reactivated. She described how family members had coerced her into recanting her previous statement.
During a later interview, the teenager described additional incidents when Hernandez inappropriately touched her. She also reported how on one occasion, he ripped off her clothes and whipped her with a wire. The beating left open wounds, according charging documents.
Police also questioned a second girl, who described also being molested by Hernandez when she was 13-years-old or younger.
Hernandez remains in the Cache County Jail being held without bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 17, and could face up to life in prison.