A Long Island healthcare executive faces at least 15 years in prison after a federal jury found him guilty on Thursday of paying minors to produce sexually explicit material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Jacob Israel Walden, 40, of Valley Stream, N.Y., was convicted on eight counts, including sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography after a three-day trial in Central Islip.
According to prosecutors, Walden contacted minors online and asked them to create abusive material in exchange for electronic payments. He also asked victims to recruit other children.
“Walden paid children to create sexually explicit images and videos for his own gratification,” stated Joseph Nocella, Jr., U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s verdict holds him accountable for exploiting those children.”
Nocella thanked the “victims who came forward and testified about his depraved conduct.”
