Former CIA Employee Convicted for Child Sexual Abuse Image Possession
Former CIA software engineer Joshua Schulte, previously convicted for leaking classified information through WikiLeaks, faced another conviction on Wednesday. This time, he was found guilty of possessing thousands of child sexual abuse images. The jury’s verdict was delivered in a Manhattan federal court, where prosecutors presented evidence of Schulte’s possession of over 3,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as 2 years old.
Schulte’s sentencing is scheduled for January 10, and the ramifications of his latest conviction could result in him serving decades in prison, in addition to his prior conviction for releasing a trove of CIA secrets via WikiLeaks in 2017.
Background: Vault 7 Leak and Schulte’s Involvement
The notorious Vault 7 leak had exposed the CIA’s hacking activities targeting Apple and Android smartphones for overseas spying operations. It also unveiled their efforts to convert internet-connected televisions into covert listening devices. Before his arrest, Schulte played a role in creating the hacking tools as a coder at the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Schulte’s earlier trial in 2020 ended in a mistrial due to a deadlock among jurors on the most serious charges, including illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information.
Behind Bars Since 2018
Joshua Schulte, 34, has been incarcerated without bail since 2018. In response to the latest conviction, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated, “Joshua Schulte has already been held accountable for endangering our nation’s security, and today’s verdict holds him accountable for endangering our nation’s children as well.”
A lawyer representing Schulte declined to comment on the matter.