Police said Christian “CJ” Walden traveled to a Home Depot area after messages with a decoy.
DELRAY BEACH, FL — A Florida Atlantic University student government member was arrested May 26 after police said he traveled to Delray Beach to meet someone he believed was underage for sex.
Christian Joseph “CJ” Walden, 21, of Boynton Beach, faces felony charges tied to the alleged online exchange and in-person meeting, according to arrest records described by police and local reports. The case has also moved quickly inside FAU student government, where members called an emergency meeting and filed measures seeking his removal from office.
Delray Beach police said Walden was taken into custody at a shopping plaza on Waterford Place. Arrest paperwork listed the incident location as 1400 Waterford Place, the address of a Home Depot in Delray Beach. Investigators said Walden used a dating app before the conversation moved to text messages with a person using the name “Justin.” Police said the person was not a minor, but a decoy connected to the social media account known as 561 Predator Catchers. At his first court appearance Wednesday morning, a judge set bond, though public reports listed different bond amounts from court and booking records.
According to the probable cause affidavit, investigators said Walden gave officers permission to search his phone after he was stopped. Police said they found messages between Walden and the person using the name “Justin.” The affidavit said Walden told officers he came to the location after work to meet someone he knew was underage. The alleged messages and the meeting location are central parts of the case, police said. Authorities have not said that any child was present. Walden is charged with traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act and using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
The arrest also triggered a response from FAU’s student government. Walden was identified in campus reports as a member of the Boca Raton House of Representatives and chair of the Ways and Means Committee. A student government impeachment bill said an investigation tied to the 561PC account raised concerns about whether Walden could be trusted by student government members or continue serving the student body. The bill called for him to be impeached and removed. Campus reports said Walden had been voted into a student government role in March, about two months before the arrest.
Faisal Albaldawi, chairman of the Rules and Policies Committee and a representative in FAU’s House of Representatives, said student leaders moved to act after reviewing the allegations in the arrest report. “The conduct described in the arrest report is appalling and has no place at Florida Atlantic University or in our student government,” Albaldawi said. He said he wrote a resolution with House Speaker Jack Nixon and Secretary Enrique Toro-Mendez seeking Walden’s removal. Albaldawi said an emergency meeting was called for Friday to address the matter and that student government was in contact with university officials.
The case began outside a traditional police sting, according to reports describing the affidavit. Dustin Lampros, associated with the 561 Predator Catchers account, showed police text messages involving Walden and the decoy account, campus media reported. The group later posted footage and screenshots from the confrontation online. Police then became involved and made the arrest. The use of a private online group as part of the case is likely to be reviewed as the criminal process moves forward, including how the messages were gathered, what officers confirmed and what evidence prosecutors choose to file in court.
Walden was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail after the arrest. The next steps include formal prosecution review, court scheduling and any action taken by FAU or its student government under campus rules. No plea had been reported in the early coverage of the case. The allegations remain pending in court, and the charges are accusations unless proven.
Author note: Last updated May 28, 2026.