A couple dozen parents stopped by Saugus High School’s auditorium Monday for a presentation from a local special agent for the Department of Homeland Security who shared why it’s so critical they monitor their children’s online activity.
Special Agent Victoria Scott, who also shared her own concerns and experiences as a parent of two school-aged girls, began with a startling statistic about how common child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is: It’s reported online more than 80,000 times a day.
Scott was there in light of her local investigation that found at least two local students and possibly more were victimized by an online predator.
At one point in the presentation, she mentioned how things had changed since she and her husband were the age of their children.
Back then, if an underage teen wanted alcohol, they might wait outside a liquor store and ask someone to illegally buy it for them, she said.
Then she shared a dark warning her current case gave about the dangers of what children younger than teens can find online.
“There are people on the internet willing to deliver to your house to a 12-year-old, if that’s what they want, for free,” Scott said, “in exchange for certain things.”
Criminal investigation
Saul Alfaro, 37, of Panorama City, has pleaded not guilty to a nine-count, 22-page grand jury indictment filed April 8, alleging: possession of child pornography, or CSAM; production of child pornography; and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, among other charges. The complaint also seeks a forfeiture of Alfaro’s assets.
Scott did not discuss the details of her investigation Monday evening.
But, federal court records stated how a mandatory reporter — someone required by law to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect — started the investigation by contacting the Burbank Police Department in October.
Alfaro was accused in the police report of using Instagram and SnapChat to obtain images from underage girls and entice them into sexual acts in exchange for the delivery of alcohol, marijuana and vape products, which he also sold to underage boys, according to the complaint.
On Feb. 2, police received another anonymous report from a caller who said Alfaro had been exchanging sexual acts for alcohol and marijuana and posting the videos.
Officers received a warrant for the account Feb. 5, and then received another report the following day from a “concerned citizen” regarding the Instagram account.
Burbank detectives tracked Alfaro through one of the videos, which showed no faces, but had the “infotainment center” of the Cadillac Escalade that Alfaro was in at the time and a call log of numbers that Alfaro had dialed, according to a federal complaint. Detectives called the most recent number shown, and the person who answered identified himself as Alfaro’s employer and then gave federal officials Alfaro’s contact information, the complaint read.
Burbank officers arrested Alfaro on March 7 on suspicion of oral copulation with a person under 18. In court records, the victim allegedly told Alfaro she was only 13 when he asked for sexual acts in exchange for the delivery, to which he said he “did not care.”
In a criminal complaint, Scott wrote that one week after Alfaro was released from state custody, he posted a story on one of the alleged Instagram accounts that read: “DM me if u down to have a drink or smoke tn I need to relax a lil had a long day delivering.”
After pleading not guilty to the charges, Alfaro is due back in court June 3 in downtown Los Angeles, according to Ciaran McEvoy, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “A federal magistrate judge has ordered him detained (jailed without bond).”
Alfaro’s federal charges regarding enticement of a minor and production of CSAM have mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years and 15 years in prison, respectively, for a conviction.
Message to parents
Scott said part of the challenge in some cases involving children is that victims do not want to come forward because they sometimes believe they are responsible for what happened to them or are embarrassed by their behavior.
She gave the example of a young boy who thought he was “sexting” with an underage female peer. After sending a nude, he began to receive threats from what he realized was an overseas cybercriminal, who not only “catfished” him with a fake identity, but also then found his friends and family online and blackmailed the teen.
In the case of the Alfaro investigation, they also may feel shame for seeking alcohol or drugs, which they know they’re not supposed to be doing, she said.
“A child can never give consent,” Scott said, reminding parents that while it’s extremely difficult to hear these scenarios as a parent, it’s important to listen and understand.
She shared a lot of tips associated with iGuardian, a program that offers information for parents looking to figure out what their children are doing online and how they can check in.
Another challenge for parents is that kids are often extremely savvy, much more than parents realize.
She said that’s a big reason why communicating about the danger can be a lot more effective than just trying to deny the child access.
“My youngest victim in my case, 12 years old, ‘I don’t have Instagram,’” Scott said, sharing a cautionary tale with parents.
“Her parents don’t think she has Instagram. She’s told us she doesn’t have Instagram. And then when we showed her her Instagram, ‘Well, I download it every day when I get to school and I delete it before I go home,’” Scott said to audible gasps from more than a few parents. “They’re smart at 12. You’re in trouble, guys. We’re all in trouble.”
