A Lethbridge man charged with child sexual assault last year was back in custody Wednesday after police say he violated the bail conditions designed to keep him away from minors.
On May 6, Lethbridge Police responded to a tip about a vulnerable 15-year-old girl getting into a vehicle with an adult man at a parking lot near a northside pool. Officers pulled the vehicle over. Behind the wheel was David Alejandro Hernandez, 36 a man whose release from custody came with explicit conditions prohibiting him from any contact with children under 16 and from being near schools, playgrounds, daycares, youth shelters, or swimming pools.
He was at a swimming pool. With a 15-year-old.
Already Facing Serious Charges
Hernandez's conditions weren't arbitrary. They were imposed after he was charged in 2025 with child sexual assault and possessing and accessing child pornography. Those charges are still before the courts.
In Canada, when someone is charged but not yet convicted, they are typically released on bail while awaiting trial often with conditions attached. Breaching those conditions is itself a criminal offence, which is how Hernandez now finds himself facing two additional counts on top of his existing charges.
He remains in custody pending a judicial interim release hearing to determine whether he'll be granted bail again.
Why This Matters
Breach of release conditions cases like this one rarely get much attention. But they represent a critical failure point in the system a moment where conditions that exist specifically to protect vulnerable people are tested, and in this case, allegedly ignored entirely.
Lethbridge Police have not released details about the 15-year-old or how the initial tip came in.
Sources:
Lethbridge Police Service — Media Release, May 7, 2026
