Glendale woman gets 10 years for posing as teen for sex

A Glendale woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison and lifetime probation Wednesday morning after she posed as a teen online in an attempt to engage in sex acts with underage boys.

Anna Areola-Hernandez, 24, also will be required to register as a sex offender.

The sentence handed down by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Warren Granville comes more than a year after she was arrested on March 20, 2014, on suspicion of sexual conduct with a minor, child molestation, unlawful age misrepresentation and adult posing as a minor for a sexual conduct act.

Areola-Hernandez pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation.

The plea deal allowed Areola-Hernandez and her victims to avoid a trial, but the sentencing hearing turned emotional Wednesday morning when a victim's mother addressed Areola-Hernadez.

The woman struggled to maintain her composure as she accused Areola-Hernandez of threatening, manipulating, stalking and eventually molesting her son, who was younger than 15 at the time of the crimes. Prosecutors said her sex crimes caused the victim to contract chlamydia.

"She should not be let out, ever," the mother said. "She bullied these kids. She would not let go."

The mother claimed Areola-Hernandez bought children alcohol, introduced them to drugs and was a professional stalker by the time she contacted her son.

The testimony caused Areola-Hernandez to burst into tears as her two sisters looked on from the gallery in the downtown Phoenix courtroom.

Areola-Hernandez's defense attorney, Eleanor Knowles, argued that her client had a history of serious trauma and untreated mental illness that contributed to her inability to form healthy relationships with male peers. Those factors led Areola-Hernandez to pursue young boys, Knowles said.

According to Knowles, Areola-Hernandez's IQ is in the first percentile.

The defense also argued that her victims likely physically abused her as well.

Knowles said Areola-Hernandez accepted responsibility and was extremely remorseful. The defense claimed that a lengthy prison term would delay treatment and counseling for Areola-Hernandez's mental illness. Knowles also read a letter from Areola-Hernandez in which she apologized to the court and her family, and promised to attend schooling and recovery programs in prison.

A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said the sentence held Areola-Hernandez accountable for her actions without putting the victims through the additional stress of a trial.

The proceeding ended Wednesday morning with a victim's mother screaming at Areola-Hernandez through sobs.

"You're a child molester, Anna," the woman said as police escorted her out of the courtroom. "F--k you too."

Glendale detectives were initially alerted about an inappropriate sexual relationship between a 23-year-old woman and an underage boy in March 2014, according to a police spokesman. The boy was later identified as being younger than 15 years old, police said.

Glendale police detectives learned in the course of their investigation that Areola-Hernandez contacted minors using social media and texting apps including Facebook, Kik, Snapchat and Tango, court records show.

Areola-Hernandez often posed as a 15-year-old and used the screen names "Tiny Hernandez" or "Ana Hernandez," court records show.