Jacob Israel Walden, a resident of Long Island, was arraigned at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on charges related to sexual exploitation of children. The indictment against Walden includes six counts: sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and access with intent to view child pornography. He was arrested on July 31, 2024, following a complaint. United States District Judge Gary R. Brown ordered that Walden be detained pending trial.
The announcement of the indictment was made by John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, alongside Spiros Karabinas, Acting Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Jersey.
“As alleged, the defendant enticed minors to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and send them to him via the internet in exchange for payment,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Protecting children from predators who sexually exploit them will always be a priority of my Office.”
“We are determined to dismantle the insidious network of online child sexual exploitation and abuse – no child’s innocence should be for sale,” stated HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Karabinas. “Every day HSI Newark and our partners work tirelessly to protect children from exploitation by predators who produce, distribute and possess child sexual abuse material."
According to court filings, law enforcement identified Walden as a repeat purchaser from a large-scale production and distribution ring dealing in child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Further investigation revealed that he used social media and encrypted messaging services to engage minors in sexually explicit conversations. During these interactions, Walden allegedly persuaded minors to create child pornography for which he paid them electronically after receiving the content.
The charges against Walden are allegations at this stage; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could serve up to 30 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonid Sandlar is leading the prosecution for this case under the Office’s Criminal Section of the Long Island Criminal Division.
