A prominent trans activist whose harrowing story of gender identity discrimination was featured in The New York Times is facing 16 felony charges related to the sexual abuse and extortion of a teen boy.
Carlos Arturo Aparicio Hernandez, 36, was charged last week with aggravated sexual extortion and six counts of forcible sodomy as first-degree felonies, and three counts of forcible sexual abuse, enticing a minor, and five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor as second-degree felonies — all concerning the 2021 abuse of a teenage boy.
In January of last year, the 15-year-old victim accepted a friend request on Facebook from someone he was led to believe was a girl of his own age. Hernandez communicated with the boy for several months and built trust, eventually requesting nude pictures from him.
After receiving the photos, Hernandez requested to meet the victim, inviting him to a home in Taylorsville, Utah.
Hernandez then blackmailed the boy with the photos he’d sent while they had been communicating before sexually assaulting him. According to court documents, Hernandez also recorded the sexual assault.
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In 2018, The New York Times profiled Hernandez in an article on the obstacles faced by LGBTQ migrants.
In the piece, Hernandez was described as a “transgender human rights activist” who had left El Salvador in June of 2017 after facing harassment and physical assault by police. Hernandez would be granted asylum in the United States that same year, and settle in Los Angeles.
Hernandez’ case was go on to gain notoriety amongst activists, with him being invited to give a speech at an event held by the Council for Global Equality at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. During the event, Hernandez claimed to have experienced discrimination on the basis of his sexuality and gender identity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff.
