A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Huntington Beach youth soccer coach with child exploitation offenses, including the possession, distribution and production of child pornography, officials announced Thursday.
Mark Phillip Oster, who served as a referee and coach in the American Youth Soccer Organization from 2015 through 2021, was named in a four-count indictment filed Wednesday, the Justice Department said in a news release.
The indictment charges the 61-year-old with two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, according to the release.
Oster has been in federal custody since July 30, when FBI agents arrested him in accordance with a criminal complaint that charged him with possession of child pornography.
During their investigation, the FBI uncovered evidence indicating Oster engaged in illegal conduct with minor victims, the DOJ said.
Oster is scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Ana on Sept. 7. If convicted on all four counts, he would face a statutory maximum sentence of 100 years in federal prison. Plus, each count of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
Anyone who has information regarding the case against Oster, or who may know someone victimized by him, is asked to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565 or through the FBI online tip portal.