DELRAY BEACH, FL — A 21-year-old Florida Atlantic University student government member, LGBTQ activist and student journalist was arrested in Delray Beach after police say he traveled to meet someone he allegedly believed was a 13-year-old boy for sexual activity.
Christian Joseph Walden, of Boynton Beach, was taken into custody Tuesday night, May 26, at the Home Depot on West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Palm Beach County.
Walden is accused of communicating with a decoy profile and arranging to meet in person after the profile allegedly told him it was being used by a 13-year-old boy who was “about to turn 14,” police wrote in the affidavit.
The person was not really a minor. Police said the profile was part of an undercover operation connected to the volunteer group "561 Predator Catchers".
Walden’s arrest came just days after he publicly announced that he had been unanimously confirmed as chair of the Ways and Means Committee in FAU Student Government’s Boca Raton House of Representatives.
The case also places Walden’s public activism and student journalism under scrutiny. On LinkedIn and Instagram profile pages apparently operated by Walden, he describes himself as an FAU undergraduate studying Public Management, with minors in Communication Studies and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. The pages also identify him as a student journalist with OutSFL and the operator of OutFAU, a student publication focused on life, activism and culture at Florida Atlantic University.
Walden also described himself as a co-founder of PRISM FL, Inc., a nonprofit he said champions “inclusive, sex-positive education.”
In an OutFAU post bearing his name, Walden wrote that “right-wing fanatics wish to silence and erase the LGBTQ community.” In another passage about FAU’s annual drag show, Walden criticized changes on campus under Florida’s political climate, writing that the event “faced uncertainty until it changed its name, and restricted who was allowed to attend, including no one under 18.”
“These issues and more are what inspired us to launch OutFAU,” Walden wrote. “The DeSantis administration wishes to silence and erase us. This fight is far from over. A few years ago, this publication would not even be noticed. Today it is an act of defiance.”
Police allege that, on May 26, Walden contacted a decoy profile on Grindr. According to the affidavit, the profile initially presented itself as an 18-year-old named “Justin,” but later told Walden by text message that he was 13.
Investigators said the conversation moved from Grindr to text messages. The affidavit states that Walden continued communicating after the decoy identified himself as underage.
Police wrote that the messages included discussion of sexual activity and plans to meet at the Home Depot on West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
When Walden arrived, police said he made contact with Dustin Lampros, identified in the affidavit as the organizer of 561 Predator Catchers. According to the report, Walden continued texting during the encounter, including additional discussion of sexual activity.
Officers said they confirmed Walden’s identity and phone number before taking him into custody.
The affidavit states that Walden consented to a search of his cellphone. Police said that search confirmed the messages described in the report.
After being advised of his Miranda rights, Walden provided a statement to officers, according to the affidavit. Police wrote that Walden acknowledged knowing the person he was meeting was underage and said he planned to engage in sexual activity. The affidavit states that Walden told officers he “made a mistake.”
Walden was lodged in the Palm Beach County Jail on Wednesday night in lieu of $25,000 combined bail on the two charges, according to jail information provided in the case.
The charges are allegations. Walden has not been convicted.
We monitor daily Boca Raton arrests and booking records to provide timely updates on local criminal cases.
