After a joint investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles and the Burbank Police Department have arrested a suspect accused of using social media to prey on minors.
On March 23, 30-year-old Ivan Hernandez of Valley Village was arrested and booked on charges of child endangerment and possession of nitrous oxide. The arrest followed a call for service and subsequent investigation into suspected drug activity, during which Hernandez was found in his vehicle with an underage female.
During the follow-up investigation, detectives determined that Hernandez had been providing nitrous oxide, marijuana, and alcohol to underage females in exchange for sexual acts. He allegedly used Instagram to locate and lure victims, arranging to meet them for the purpose of trading drugs and alcohol for sex. Hernandez is also believed to have frequently recorded these encounters with the underage females on his cell phone.
On March 25, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed multiple felony charges against Hernandez, including three counts of unlawful sex with a minor under 16, two counts of arranging to meet with a minor for lewd purposes, and one count each of child endangerment, oral copulation of a minor under 16, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor 14 or 15 years old, and possession of child sexual abuse material. Hernandez is currently being held without bail and is awaiting his next court appearance.
Detectives believe there may be additional victims and are seeking the public’s help. Hernandez is known to have used the following Instagram profile names to contact minors: noznbars, n2ohead, nawzhead818, nozzhead_818, and nozzhead818_. If you have any information regarding Hernandez’s involvement in similar incidents, believe you may have been a victim, or know someone who may have been victimized, contact Detective Shifley of the Burbank Police Department at (818) 238-3210.
