A North Texas pastor has been arrested on a felony charge of indecency with a child stemming from an incident in 2008.
Troy Hernandez, 50, of Arlington, was arrested by Irving police on Jan. 29 on charges linked to an alleged incident involving a 14-year-old relative of his, according to ABC News' Dallas affiliate WFAA.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA, the victim reported to police on June 20, 2025, that the incident occurred in Hernandez's apartment in Irving while they were watching a movie. The victim stated that Hernandez began touching her back and stomach, became aroused during the contact, and then covered himself with a pillow, WFAA reported.
In an interview with police, Hernandez stated he "did not remember doing that but did not deny that it occurred," according to the affidavit cited by WFAA. Investigators noted that Hernandez confirmed he lived in Irving during the timeframe of the reported incident.
A public records search confirmed Hernandez was booked into Dallas County Jail following his arrest, but it wasn’t immediately clear when he was released.
In a statement Thursday to The Christian Post, Irving police declined to provide further details on the arrest. “Because of the nature of the case, we are not able to share any information at this time,” a police spokesperson said, only adding that the charges stem from an incident that occurred in 2008, "given the obvious public concern."
Hernandez is the pastor and founder of the bilingual True Grace Church in Arlington, which he started in 2014, according to the church’s website.
He is featured in social media posts as recently as Jan. 18, but it was unclear whether he still actively led services at True Grace. An archived version of the church’s website included a photo of Hernandez and his wife, Rachel, and described Hernandez as a “Christian businessman.”
Both the photo and bio had been removed from the church’s website as of Thursday afternoon.
In an Instagram video shared in October, Hernandez delivered a mini-message on “resisting the devil” and told followers, “I want to talk to you about the power of resisting the devil and watching your authority grow in God.”
The Christian Post reached out Thursday to True Grace for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received.
Hernandez’s arrest marks the latest in a string of arrests involving churches in and around North Texas in recent months.
In September, John McKinzie, lead pastor of the multi-campus Hope Fellowship, stepped down due to “sexual sin and moral” failure. Just a few weeks later, Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church in Southlake, was sentenced to a six-month prison term and a 10-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.
