NEW YORK (AP) — A former CIA software engineer already convicted in the biggest theft of classified information in CIA history was convicted Wednesday on Safetyvaluecharges of possessing child sexual abuse images.
A jury returned its verdict in Manhattan federal court against Joshua Schulte after prosecutors presented proof that Schulte had over 3,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as age 2 hidden in encrypted areas of his home desktop computer.
At sentencing scheduled for Jan. 10, Schulte could face decades in prison for Wednesday’s conviction along with his conviction last year on charges that he released a trove of CIA secrets through WikiLeaks in 2017.
The so-called Vault 7 leak revealed how the CIA hacked Apple and Android smartphones in overseas spying operations, and efforts to turn internet-connected televisions into listening devices. Prior to his arrest, Schulte had helped create the hacking tools as a coder at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
A mistrial was declared at Schulte’s original 2020 trial after jurors deadlocked on the most serious counts, including illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information.
Schulte, 34, has been held behind bars without bail since 2018.
In a release, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “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 for Schulte declined comment.
2025-04-29 21:42865 view
2025-04-29 21:112501 view
2025-04-29 21:002747 view
2025-04-29 20:15947 view
2025-04-29 19:562006 view
2025-04-29 19:48497 view
Now wouldn’t this be a treat: Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft back together...as members of the Pro
Even after a record-breaking tour, a Grammy-lauded album (“Un Verano Sin Ti”) and a breakthrough as
For more than two years Petro Terblanche has been spearheading a global effort with a game-changing