NEW YORK—Gay adult star Austin Wolf has been arrested for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials, also referred to as child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced Friday.
In a press release, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and James Smith, the assistant director in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) New York Field Office, reported that Wolf stands accused of sending and receiving hundreds of videos depicting child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) using the Telegram messaging app.
Videos he sent and received depicted children as young as infants, including a 10-year-old child being raped and bound. Wolf is also accused of possessing hundreds of videos depicting CSAM in his Manhattan apartment, according to the Department of Justice release.
Wolf appeared before a federal magistrate judge today.
“I want to make it clear: those who distribute child sexual abuse images prey upon the most vulnerable in our society,” said Smith. He added that the FBI was the lead law enforcement agency to investigate the allegations against Wolf.
According to the complaint outlining the federal felony counts, Wolf was detected exchanging CSAM through Telegram between March 24 and March 28 of this year.
He was exchanging the materials with an unnamed individual whose phone the FBI also seized after acquiring a search warrant. In a bid to confirm his identity online, an undercover FBI agent contacted Wolf on his anonymous Telegram account.
After a conversation, the FBI agent was able to glean personally identifiable information, confirming that Wolf was the owner of the anonymous account.
The FBI executed a search warrant on April 21, 2024, which revealed an SD storage card with hundreds of CSAM videos. A federal judge then issued an arrest warrant.
“As alleged, [Wolf] received and distributed hundreds of recordings containing child pornography, including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped,” said attorney Williams, adding that the investigation into Wolf is an ongoing matter. Williams encouraged people who knew of Wolf's criminal activity to send in tips to the FBI.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue those predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” Williams concluded.
Austin Wolf has appeared in over 100 gay porn titles for some of the largest brands in the industry.
UPDATE (July 2, 2024): LGBTQ+ news outlet The Advocate reports that Wolf is in custody at a federal prison in New York City. Wolf's attorney, Thomas H. Andrykovitz, said, “The government’s press release contains nothing but unproven and untested allegations against a man that is presumed innocent. Justin is thankful for the incredible support he is receiving from his friends and supporters."
