By: Richard L. Smith
A German man will make his initial court appearance today on charges that he traveled to New Jersey for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with a minor, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Federal authorities said Mr. Christian Stefan Walther, 38, of Erfurt, Germany, is charged by complaint with one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Walther is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement authorities have been investigating Walther since January 2023 for child exploitation offenses.
Two undercover officers communicated with Walther via email, phone, and an encrypted messaging app concerning Walther’s desire for sexual encounters with young children.
During the investigation, Walther sent an undercover officer two videos, each of which depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female minor.
Walther also expressed his desire to engage in sexual conduct with minors aged 8 to 12 and explained that he had lied to his friends in Germany about the purpose of his trip to the United States.
On March 23, 2023, Walther traveled from Germany to New Jersey to meet the undercover officers in advance of what he believed would be a sexual encounter with one or more minors at a hotel.
The charge of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.