NORFOLK, Va. — The FBI is speaking exclusively to the WTKR News 3 Investigative Team about a child sex crime case that spanned from Virginia to New York to Alaska, resulting in a 40-year prison sentence for a Navy sailor.
Andrew Fernandez, 33, a married U.S. Navy Machinist’s Mate of Virginia Beach, contacted one of the victims by private message on TikTok and later continued to engage with her by text messages, according to prosecutors.
The victim told Fernandez that she was 10 years old and Fernandez told her that he was under 13 years old, that his name was Levi, and that he previously attended her school before he moved to another state. The victims ranged in ages but one girl was 9 years old.
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They said the conversations quickly turned sexual, with Fernandez sending graphic images of himself and requesting pictures from the victims.
An FBI agent assumed the victim’s identity and continued to engage with Fernandez, who continued to send sexually explicit images, which he directed the victim to delete, according to prosecutors.
Fernandez attempted to persuade a victim to produce child sexual abuse material depicting herself by telling her that the images would lead to a lucrative modeling audition.
The FBI says there were 13 identifiable victims across multiple states, with the crimes dating back to 2023.
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The investigation was sparked after a bus driver in New York overheard the girls talking about the inappropriate pictures.
"If the bus driver never spoke up and never reported it, instead of talking about 13 identified victims, we might've eventually found out about it, we'd be talking about dozens or 100 victims," said Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk FBI.
The Department of Justice reports that one in five children per year receives an unwanted sexual solicitation online, and there is an estimated 50,000 predators actively seeking out children on the internet.
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"This is unfortunately much more prevalent crime and activity than most people realize," Feinberg said. "The more a parent is involved in knowing what's going on with their child's social life, both in person and online, the safer that the child will ultimately be."
The FBI is praising the quick action of the bus driver, who they say was a "hero" for bringing the case to their attention and preventing the potential for many more victims.
