U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger | U.S. Department of Justice
A German national, Christian Stefan Walther, has been sentenced to 240 months in prison for traveling to New Jersey with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Walther, aged 40 and hailing from Erfurt, Germany, had previously entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court. He faced charges related to travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The investigation into Walther began around January 2023 when law enforcement authorities suspected him of child exploitation offenses. Two undercover officers communicated with Walther through email, phone calls, and an encrypted messaging app about his intentions for sexual encounters with minors. During these exchanges, Walther sent videos depicting inappropriate conduct involving an adult male and a prepubescent female child. He also shared his plans for engaging in similar acts with children aged between 8 and 12 and admitted lying to acquaintances in Germany about the purpose of his trip to the United States.
On March 23, 2023, Walther traveled from Germany to New Jersey intending to meet undercover officers under the belief that he would have a sexual encounter with children at a hotel. Upon arrest, he confessed his intention was indeed to engage sexually with children under the age of 12.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents from the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations division for their role in leading the investigation under Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas in Newark. Additionally, gratitude was extended towards officers from the New Jersey State Police led by Col. Patrick J. Callahan for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht from the Special Prosecutions Division represented the government in this case.
