Soccer coach admits to producing child pornography

McALLEN, Texas – A former McAllen youth league coach who illegally resided in Pharr has entered a guilty plea to sexual exploitation of children, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

From March 2020 through June 2021, Oscar Hinojosa communicated and cultivated a relationship with a 15-year-old minor.

Hinojosa was the victim’s soccer coach. Over time, Hinojosa told her he loved her and expressed his sexual desire for her. During their communications, Hinojosa instructed the minor victim to send a sexually-explicit photo of her genitalia in a specific pose. She ultimately did as requested on this occasion and others.

While communicating with this victim, Hinojosa also attempted to cultivate a similar relationship to another one of the minor females on his soccer team. While he was unsuccessful, he expressed his love for her as well.

Hinojosa is not a citizen of the United States does not have legal status to reside here.  

Mission Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

U.S. District Judge Alvarez accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 18, 2022. At that time, Hinojosa faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton T. Turner is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.