LUBBOCK, TX—Gilberto Ray Hinojos, 23, of Big Spring, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to five years in federal prison following his guilty plea in June 2015 to one count of attempted receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. Hinojos has been in custody since August, when his pretrial bond was revoked.

According to documents filed in the case, on May 14, 2015, Hinojos responded to an online classified ad posted by the Texas Department of Public Safety identifying themselves as a 13-year-old female. Hinojos attempted to receive sexually explicit images of this person and made further arrangements to meet her at a restaurant on 19th Street in Lubbock. Hinojos arrived at the location and was arrested.

The matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy prosecuted the case.