German Man Came To New Jersey To Have Sex With Child, Feds Allege

NEWARK, NJ — A resident of Germany has been accused of traveling into New Jersey via Newark Airport with the intent of having sex with one or more children, federal authorities recently announced.

Christian Stefan Walther, 38, of Erfurt, Germany, was charged with one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which announced his arrest last week.

Prosecutors released a statement about the accusations against Walther:

“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 child. Walther also expressed his desire to engage in sexual conduct with children 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 children at a hotel.”

Additional details about the allegations are available in a criminal complaint.

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, prosecutors said.

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