SANTA ANA, CALIF.
A federal grand jury indicted an Orange County man who coached a Long Beach youth soccer team for possessing and distributing child pornography.
Robert “Bob” Warden Phillips, 65, of Lake Forest, made his initial appearance in federal court Monday and plead not guilty to the charges. He was 
released on a $50,000 bond.
In the fall of 2014, Phillips served as a volunteer for the American Youth Soccer Organization or AYSO coaching 12- to 14-year-old girls, officials said.
“Fighting the exploitation of children is one of the top priorities of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “In the case of child pornography, victimization takes place when an image is generated and every time it is distributed. We have and will continue to prosecute vigorously individuals who endanger children by creating a market for their victimization.”
The Task Force began investigating Phillips after receiving multiple tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about sexually explicit images of minors associated with an email address that traced back to the defendant.
In June 2015, Task Force investigators executed a search warrant at Phillips’ Lake Forest home where they seized three computers, an iPad, an iPhone, and several media devices.
The indictment alleges two of the computers and a thumb drive were found to contain images of child pornography.
According to the Search Warrant affidavit, Homeland Security Investigations obtained records of online instant message chats where the defendant fantasized about young female soccer players and discussed grooming and molesting girls as young as 14.
“This case is particularly disturbing given the defendant’s former position as a coach and his close contact with children,” said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles. “HSI will continue to work closely with its partners on the Task Force to investigate those who sexually exploit young people and ensure that those found guilty of such offenses feel the full weight of the law.”
Homeland Security Investigations’ special agents alerted AYSO’s national office about the allegations and AYSO cooperated fully with the investigation. As soon as AYSO learned of the allegations, the defendant was made ineligible for further service pending the outcome of the case.
Phillips is charged with three counts of distribution of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography.
Phillips is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
If he was convicted of the six felony offenses, he is facing up to 90 years in prison.
Each count of distribution of child pornography has a penalty of up to five years in prison, officials said.