LA MARQUE — A La Marque man previously investigated by local and federal authorities in a child exploitation case has been sentenced to prison and later taken into federal custody, according to police.

The La Marque Police Department said Keith Hernandez pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026, to sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to 30 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Police also confirmed Hernandez was taken into federal custody on May 12 by Homeland Security Investigations-Galveston in connection with the ongoing investigation.

The case stems from a previous investigation launched after authorities received a cybertip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators later executed a search warrant at Hernandez’s residence with assistance from multiple local and federal agencies.

During the earlier investigation, Hernandez was also charged with failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.

Authorities said the investigation remains active and additional charges are pending.

The La Marque Police Department thanked the agencies involved in the investigation, including federal and regional law enforcement partners, for assisting with the case.

Anyone with additional information related to the investigation is asked to contact Detective Shores at 409-797-4862 or by email at b.shores@cityoflamarque.org.