The Hollister man suspected of sexually assaulting two juvenile teenagers between 2002 and 2005 is set to appear in court again Jan. 29.
Joseph Alvarado, a former local Boy Scouts leader, most recently had a continued arraignment hearing Jan. 6 in connection to 42 counts of suspected sexual assault charges. His next hearing, a preliminary setting where a judge could schedule a preliminary hearing, is set for 2 p.m. Jan. 29 in courtroom 3 of the San Benito County Courthouse before Judge Steven Sanders.
At a preliminary hearing, the judge can decide whether there is sufficient evidence for trial.
Alvarado, a county emergency medical services specialist, was an assistant scoutmaster for a Boy Scouts troop in Hollister from 2010 until December when the organization dropped him. This past summer, he also worked with the relatively new Career Explorer Program at the Hollister Fire Department.
Boy Scouts generally range from ages 11 to 18, according to the director of development for the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council. As for the explorer program at the fire department, Alvarado advised 22 participants ages 14 to 21 this past summer. Alvarado’s association with county EMS and the Boy Scouts led him to the advisement role with the explorers, Fire Chief Mike O’Connor has said.
One victim was age 15 at the time of the suspected incident. The other was between 15 and 17 at the time.
San Benito County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Alvarado. He has been booked at the county jail, while the arrest occurred in the 1000 block of El Toro Drive. His bail was set at $1.75 million.
The sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home and obtained what the sheriff’s office described as “video and photographic evidence” in the case. Assisting the sheriff’s office in the investigation were San Jose police and the FBI. The sheriff’s office urges other potential victims to step forward and call the agency at (831) 636-4080 or the anonymous tip line at 636-4080.
