A Long Island healthcare executive, a father of five, allegedly preyed on nearly a dozen teenage girls for the production of child porn over four years.
Jacob Walden, 38, is an executive and co-owner of Emerald Healthcare, a Woodmere-based company that oversees assisted living and nursing homes across the US. He was sent to federal prison on Wednesday.
At his arraignment in Central Islip federal court, Walden entered a not guilty plea to a six-count indictment charging him with sexually abusing two teenagers, ages 16 and 17, The New York Post reported. As well as receiving and possessing child pornography. ,
“As charged, the defendant lured minors into creating sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and sending them to him via the Internet in exchange for payment. Protecting children from sexually exploiting predators is always a priority of my office. will remain a priority,” U.S. Attorney John Durham of the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.
Prosecutors said Jacob Walden, a married man and father of five, purchased at least 500 images and 5,000 child sexual abuse videos from a large production and distribution network that catered to adult male buyers in the U.S. and abroad. .
They also claimed that Walden encouraged minors to take sexual photographs of themselves by engaging in sexually explicit online chats with them through social media and encrypted messaging systems.
Jacob Walden was arrested on July 31, 2024. He was placed under home confinement in his Valley Stream home, banning the use of technological devices and interaction with children.
The accused broke his terms within a month of his arrest when he stopped unannounced at a Verizon store and offered a woman money for sex over WhatsApp.
According to law enforcement officials, Walden is currently being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after prosecutors claimed he was a flight risk and a danger to society.
His next court date is Feb. 24. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison, prosecutors said.
