Dominican National Extradited To US To Face Child Sexual Exploitation Charges After Fleeing Prosecution

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Dominican national extradited from the Dominican Republic to face child sexual exploitation charges appeared in federal court in North Carolina Tuesday.

“Roberto Severino Hinojosa was indicted in the Western District of North Carolina, nearly a decade ago and fled the U.S., likely believing he had escaped the reach of the FBI and the Department of Justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “He was proven wrong when he was apprehended and handcuffed in the Dominican Republic. By leveraging the strength of our law enforcement partners in this country and around the world, there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Hinojosa is accused of exploiting children and then fleeing the United States to evade prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “We will not give up on those that flee; we will track down and prosecute those who prey on our children, wherever they go.”

On Feb. 22, 2017, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a five-count indictment charging Roberto Severino Hinojosa, 29, a Dominican national who was a lawful permanent resident at the time of his offense, with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of transportation of CSAM, and three counts of receipt of CSAM.

After being interviewed by the FBI, Hinojosa fled the United States. With the assistance of the FBI Law Enforcement Attaché in the Dominican Republic and Dominican Law Enforcement, Hinojosa was located in the Dominican Republic and subsequently arrested on Jan. 30 by Dominican authorities at the request of the United States. On March 25, Dominican authorities extradited Hinojosa from the Dominican Republic. On March 26, Hinojosa appeared in federal court in Charlotte for his initial appearance. Today (Tuesday), Hinojosa had his arraignment and detention hearing and was ordered detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

According to allegations in the indictment, between May and June 2015, Hinojosa engaged in the sexual exploitation of children by possessing, transporting, and receiving child sexual abuse material, some of which involved prepubescent minors that had not yet attained 12 years of age.

If convicted, Hinojosa faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of receipt and transportation of CSAM, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of CSAM. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The investigation was led by the FBI in Charlotte with assistance from the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI LEGAT, and Dominican authorities provided significant assistance in securing Hinojosa’s arrest and extradition.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.