Man used Instagram to lure girls with drugs, alcohol for sex acts, CA cops say
A man accused of using Instagram to lure girls with drugs and alcohol for sex acts has been arrested, California police say.
Ivan Hernandez, 30, of Valley Village is facing multiple felonies following a joint investigation by the Burbank Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, Los Angeles, police said in a May 1 news release.
Meta, the company that owns Instagram, did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on May 2.
Hernandez was initially arrested March 23 on “charges of child endangerment and possession of nitrous oxide,” Burbank police said.
The arrest came after police say Hernandez was found inside a car with a girl.
Police said they learned Hernandez had been giving girls nitrous oxide, marijuana and alcohol in exchange for sex acts.
He is accused of using Instagram to meet and arrange meetings with underage girls, according to police.
Police said they believe Hernandez often used his cellphone to record his encounters with the minors.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Hernandez with “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,” according to police.
Hernandez is being held without bail, police said.
Detectives believe Hernandez may have additional victims, police said.
He had multiple Instagram profiles with different usernames, including noznbars, n2ohead, nawzhead818, nozzhead_818 and nozzhead818_, according to police.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 818-238-3210.
Burbank is about a 10-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Man used Instagram to lure girls with drugs, alcohol for sex acts, CA cops say."
