Healthcare Executive Was ‘Repeat Purchaser of Child Sex Abuse Material,’ Insisted on Being Called ‘Daddy’ by Minors: Feds

A New York healthcare executive has been indicted on multiple felony charges after being accused of repeatedly buying child sexual abuse material, authorities said.

On Thursday, Jan. 23, Jacob Israel Walden, 38, was arraigned at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on six counts, including sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and access with intent to view child pornography, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Walden, identified by prosecutors as a healthcare executive and Long Island resident, allegedly was a “repeat purchaser of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a large-scale production and distribution ring,” the release states. Prosecutors said the ring advertised, sold and distributed the CSAM to adult men.

Prosecutors allege Walden used social media and other messaging services to talk with minors and coerce them to send sexually explicit content for money. In some of the conversations, Walden allegedly insisted that he be addressed as “daddy” and paid them electronically, per the release.

A letter from prosecutors to the judge dated Jan. 13 and obtained by PEOPLE, states the investigation began in September 2023. “During the investigation, law enforcement also identified at least 11 minor female victims, ages 14 to 17 years old, whom Walden contacted, paid, and enticed or attempted to entice to produce CSAM via social media from at least 2020 to 2024,” prosecutors claim in the document.

Walden is also accused of buying CSAM from others online and investigators claim they recovered “numerous images and videos” of the sexually explicit material from his iPhone, according to the release.

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Walden was arrested on a complaint on July 31, 2024, prosecutors said. A judge on Thursday ordered Walden be detained pending trial. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea and his attorney declined to comment on the matter when reached by PEOPLE.

If convicted, Walden faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison, prosecutors said.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.