Former McAllen soccer coach pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of children

A former McAllen youth league coach is facing 30 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to sexual exploitation of children.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery announced the plea in a news release, which said Oscar Hinojosa communicated and cultivated a relationship with a 15-year-old girl from March 2020 through June 2021.

Hinojosa was the child’s soccer coach and over time he expressed his love and sexual desire for her, according to the release.

Federal prosecutors said the man instructed the minor to send sexually explicit photos, which she ultimately did on multiple occasions.

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

Hinojosa, who lived in Pharr, is in the country illegally, which means he will be deported after finishing his sentence in the Bureau of Prisons.

He is scheduled for sentencing March 18, 2022, and will remain in custody until that hearing.