A Kansas, Oklahoma man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of minors. Sequoyah Jo Hinzo, 30, was convicted on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country, aggravated abuse of a minor by force and threat in Indian Country, and coercion and enticement of a minor.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell handed down the sentence, which includes lifetime supervised release following incarceration. Hinzo will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Court documents reveal that from 2020 through 2022, Hinzo abused three children aged 6, 9, and 13. He reportedly used fake social media accounts to coerce one child into sending sexually explicit images.
Hinzo is identified as a citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation involved the FBI, Kansas Police Department, and Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Valeria Luster led the prosecution.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse online. The project unites federal, state, and local resources to apprehend offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more details about Project Safe Childhood, visit Justice.gov/PSC.