Christian Walden, 22, Arrested in Delray Beach Predator Sting
A Florida Atlantic University student and former student government leader was arrested after allegedly arranging to meet a 13-year-old for sex at a Home Depot.
The Arrest
Christian Walden, 22, was arrested on May 26 after allegedly planning to meet a 13-year-old for sex at a Home Depot in Delray Beach, Florida. The sting was conducted by Dustin Lampros, founder of 561 Predator Catchers, a citizen group that poses as minors online to identify potential child predators.
Walden was charged with traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony. He was released on $25,000 bond.
At the time of arrest, Walden was a student at Florida Atlantic University and held leadership roles in student government and LGBTQ+ organizations. He was subsequently removed from his student government position.
The Operation
Lampros' decoy, posing as a 13-year-old boy named Justin, initiated contact with Walden on Grindr. The conversation moved to text messages, where explicit sex acts were allegedly discussed.
On May 26, Walden arrived at Home Depot expecting to meet the decoy. Lampros confronted him, recorded the interaction, and later called police.
Walden told police he knew he made a "mistake" by arranging to meet a minor.
Legal Considerations
Citizen-led predator stings are legal in Florida as long as they do not coordinate with law enforcement beforehand or initiate illegal activity, according to attorney Mark Astor.
Walden's attorney could not be reached for comment.