A Panorama City man’s trial on federal charges alleging he used Instagram to meet Santa Clarita Valley teens and solicited sex in exchange for access to drugs and alcohol has been postponed by six months.
Judge Andre Birotte Jr. issued the continuance on December 17, following a joint request from counsel for both sides. The attorneys submitted a stipulation several days earlier explaining that the delay was necessary to ensure a fair trial for 38-year-old Saul Henry Alfaro.
The primary reason for this second postponement was a change in the defendant’s legal representation. Alfaro’s new attorney had a schedule conflicting with the original trial date of January 20. Alfaro was also scheduled for a hearing later this week to discuss the revised timeline for his case.
Since his arrest in March, Alfaro has remained in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles. His arrest followed an investigation by a joint task force that identified two juvenile victims from the Santa Clarita Valley.
According to federal guidelines, a violation of 18 USC 2252 carries a potential penalty ranging from 10 to 20 years, reflecting the strictest sentencing for such offenses.
The criminal complaint against Alfaro stated that the victims were as young as 12 years old. Following his arrest, the William S. Hart Union High School District issued an alert to parents in March. However, officials have not released information regarding the schools the victims attend locally.
Special Agent Victoria Scott, who authored the criminal complaint, also addressed parents in April to highlight the dangers of children having unrestricted access to social media. Scott, based out of the Ventura office of Homeland Security Investigations, detailed that the inquiry began after the Burbank Police Department received a report in April 2024 from a mandatory reporter. The report described “an adult male who was using Instagram to sell alcohol and marijuana to minors in exchange for sexual favors.”
In November, the Burbank Police Department attempted to contact one of the alleged victims identified through a search warrant executed on Alfaro’s phone. However, the victim stated she was not ready to talk with law enforcement.
On February 2, authorities received another alert—this time an anonymous tip—about a similar situation. The caller claimed that the man was “pretending to be a teenager” on Instagram and that there were more than 10 victims involved.
The day before Alfaro’s arrest, the alleged victim previously contacted by police in November identified him in a photographic lineup as “Mr. Jointz.” She testified she had given oral sex to him in exchange for alcohol, according to Scott’s complaint.
Scott collaborated with the Burbank Police Department as part of the Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The ICAC Task Force is a nationwide network, consisting of 61 teams representing more than 3,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
The Burbank Police Department news release revealed that Alfaro used several Instagram profile names to communicate with minors, including mr_jointz, val.91503836, 8o5_joeyy, scv_joeyy1, kim.9120123, mia.7477289, cfs3.99771776, and hugediktaylr.
The complaint also indicated that Alfaro utilized other social media platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok in his interactions.
Authorities continue to investigate the case as preparations for the rescheduled trial proceed.
https://signalscv.com/2025/12/trial-delayed-for-man-charged-with-trafficking-minors-on-instagram/