Content Disclaimer: This article contains references to s*xual abuse and exploitation involving minors. Reader discretion advised.
A 27-year-old man from Houston has been sentenced to 324 months in federal prison for the coercion and enticement of a minor and receipt of child p****graphy, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Victor Zuniga pleaded guilty to the charges on January 15.
According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the investigation into Zuniga began in December 2023 after officials received 4 videos from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
An investigation by FBI Houston's Violent Crimes Against Children team results in a 27-year sentence for 27-year-old Victor Zuniga. Zuniga exchanged multiple messages discussing having sex with minors and received videos and images of child sexual abuse material. Zuniga spent… pic.twitter.com/cKMxUuYU1V
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) April 27, 2026
Per the press release, officials found that between January 28, 2022, and November 2, 2023, Zuniga had exchanged multiple messages where he talked about having intercourse with minors. He also received many images and videos containing child s*xual abuse material.
Additionally, investigators ran a forensic examination of Zuniga’s cell phone, which revealed that he had a 42-minute screen recording of a live video feed that showed minor children between the ages of two and ten years being abused s***ally.
During the court hearing, additional evidence was presented which showed that the convicted criminal had spent over a year trying to arrange an in-person meeting to facilitate the s*xual abuse of a toddler.
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and receipt of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Victor Zuniga pleaded guilty Jan. 15.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now sentenced…
— Qᴀɢɢ.ɴᴇᴡꜱ (@qaggnews) April 27, 2026
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Zuniga to 324 months for the coercion/enticement conviction and 240 months for the receipt conviction. These sentences will run concurrently for a total of 324 months, or 27 years.
Zuniga will now serve lifetime supervised release upon completion of his prison term. He will also have to comply with several restrictions to limit his internet access. He is currently in custody and will be transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility sometime in the near future.
The investigation into Zuniga was led by the FBI’s Houston Violent Crimes Against Children team, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo serving as prosecutors. FBI Houston publicly thanked the ACCCE, calling their tip the catalyst that opened the case.
According to the press release, the case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched nationwide in 2006, “to combat the growing epidemic of child s*xual exploitation and abuse.”
The initiative marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute child predators. US Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ‘s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section jointly lead PSC nationwide.
