Former Sacramento education worker sentenced in child sex sting. Prosecutors wanted prison time

A man who most recently worked at Sacramento Juvenile Hall was sentenced Monday to jail and two years of probation after he was arrested in a sting operation aiming at accused child sexual predators.

Moises Hernandez Cordero began working at the Sacramento County Office of Education in 2004 and most recently worked at Juvenile Hall, according to a SCOE spokesperson. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, two years of probation and will have to register as a sex offender, according to the Yuba County District Attorney’s Office.

Last summer, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office led a three-day operation in which authorities talked with suspects on social media apps and websites. Authorities arrested 14 suspects, some of whom arranged to meet in person with users they believed to be young girls, according to The Sacramento Bee’s previous reporting.

Cordero spoke with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl and was “explicit in his plans to have sex with her,” according to a Yuba County news release. He made plans to meet up with her, but those plans faltered after he got a flat tire, prosecutors said.

Hernandez Cordero was placed on administrative leave from SCOE in August. A district spokesperson said Tuesday that Cordero is no longer employed at the Sacramento County Office of Education.

He was charged with five felonies and two misdemeanors related to talking inappropriately to minors and distributing child pornography.

Cordero pleaded no contest in December to unlawfully contacting a minor and attempting to posses child porn, according to court records. The other charges were dismissed under a plea deal.

Prosecutors argued for Cordero to receive a prison sentence.

“We’re disappointed that this would-be victimizer got a slap on the wrist,” Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry said in a news release. “There is consolation that he will no longer have access to children through employment.”

Curry also hoped parents used this opportunity to speak with their children about who they interact with online.

This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM.