Hugo Espinosa Chavez, Child Sex Tourism, Florida 2021

Tampa, Florida – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, Hugo Espinosa Chavez, a 59-year-old Tampa resident, has pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material and engaging in child sex tourism in Colombia.

According to court documents, Espinosa Chavez coerced, persuaded, and used a 15-year-old indigent child who lived in Colombia to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos of this conduct from May through December 2020.

In return, Espinosa Chavez gave the child money and other gifts. Espinosa Chavez located the 15-year-old child victim on Facebook and began communicating with the child via Facebook Messenger. Espinosa Chavez demanded nude photos of the child, offering money in exchange for photos of the child's buttocks and genitals.

On December 12, 2020, Espinosa Chavez traveled from the United States to the Republic of Colombia for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the child. Espinosa Chavez ultimately sexually abused the child victim, again offering money and gifts in exchange for sex. On other occasions, Espinosa Chavez took sexually explicit pictures of the child on his personal cellphone.

Espinosa Chavez faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, on the production charge, up to 30 years' imprisonment on the sex tourism charge, and up to 10 years in federal prison for the possession charge. The total prison time for the combined charges could be 55 years.

Espinosa Chavez was arrested on October 5, 2021, and will remain in custody through sentencing. He is a dual citizen of both Colombia and the United States.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, with substantial assistance from HSI Bogota, the Colombian National Police, the Office of International Affairs, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

As part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. government to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, this case brings another offender to justice.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/tampa-man-pleads-guilty-producing-and-possessing-child-sexual-abuse-material-and