LOS ANGELES
A Victorville man was sentenced Thursday to 45 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two teenage girls he met on Instagram, including posing as a teenage football player to entice them into sexual relationships and transporting one victim to Mexico to engage in illicit sexual activity, officials stated.
Daniel Navarro, 42, was sentenced to 540 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $15,000 in restitution. Navarro has remained in federal custody since July 2022.
Quick Facts
- Defendant: Daniel Navarro, 42, of Victorville
- Sentence: 540 months in federal prison
- Restitution: $15,000
- Victims: Two 14-year-old girls
- Platform used: Instagram
- Investigating agencies: FBI and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
After a four-day trial in July 2025, a jury found Navarro guilty of six felony counts, including two counts of sexual exploitation of a child to produce sexually explicit images, attempted enticement of a minor, transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, distribution of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography.
According to trial evidence, Navarro used Instagram from at least August 2021 through July 2022 to pose as “Danny,” a 15-year-old California football player using the handles “dn.2021.01” and “dn84831.”
Prosecutors said Navarro groomed two 14-year-old girls and persuaded them to produce sexually explicit images.
Authorities said Navarro traveled with one victim — an Arizona girl spending the summer in Nipomo — to Tijuana, Mexico, between June 30 and July 1, 2022, for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity.
Court records showed Navarro maintained an online relationship with the victim for approximately five months. Investigators found Instagram messages in which Navarro professed his love for the victim and discussed getting her pregnant.
Mexican law enforcement rescued the victim from a residence in Tijuana in mid-July 2022.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors wrote that Navarro “lied to, groomed, and manipulated children” in pursuit of sexually explicit images and sexual acts.
The FBI and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cas