Updated June 28, 2018 at 7:11 p.m. 
 
 General Studies student Joel Davis was arrested Tuesday in Manhattan on charges of child pornography and attempting to sexually exploit children as young as two years old. 
 
 Davis spent years as a sexual assault prevention activist both on and off Columbia’s campus, helping to found Youth to End Sexual Violence and serving as the chairman of the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence. 
 
 After being arrested, Davis allegedly confessed to officers that he had sexually abused a thirteen-year-old boy in the past, and that he kept child pornography on his phone. 
 
 Davis was a columnist for Spectator in 2017, writing on topics including being a survivor of sexual assault (like most Spectator columnists, Davis was an outside contributor who was not a member of Spectator’s staff). In a 2014 op-ed in the Huffington Post, Davis condemned the sexual exploitation of children. 
 
 Justice Department officials said that over the course of several weeks, Davis exchanged text messages with undercover officers, repeatedly asking that one officer send Davis sexually explicit photos and videos of his nine-year-old daughters. 
 
 The Department’s criminal complaint also alleges that Davis described in detail the explicit sexual acts he intended to engage in with both the officer’s nine-year-old daughter and the two-year-old daughter of the officer’s girlfriend. 
 
 “Having started an organization that pushed for the end of sexual violence, Davis displayed the highest degree of hypocrisy by his alleged attempts to sexually exploit multiple minors,” Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. said in a statement. 
 
 Davis and the Youth to End Sexual Violence did not immediately respond to Spectator’s requests for comment. He could face up to 70 years in prison. 
 
 Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Davis was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015. In fact, the Nobel Committee does not publicize the list of nominees to either the media or the nominees themselves. 
 
 khadija.hussain@columbiaspectator.com | @ColumbiaSpec ||||| I. Child Sex Abuse in India 
 
 India is home to 430 million children, roughly one in five of all children (individuals under age 18) in the world. From the moment they are born, the challenges many of them face are staggering. [4] 
 
 At least 1.7 million children die before the age of five every year in India.[5] Malnutrition means that almost half of those that survive are stunted, and 43 percent are underweight.[6] The right to education is enshrined in the Indian constitution,[7] but, though the situation is improving, there were still 8.1 million out-of-school children in mid-2009.[8] The government estimates that 40 percent of India's children are vulnerable to threats such as trafficking, homelessness, forced labor, drug abuse, and crime, and are in need of protection.[9]More than half of the country's married women were wed before the legal age of 18.[10] Currently, only about 60 percent of births in India are even registered.[11] 
 
 In 2007 the government published its first ever survey to address what the then minister of women and child development, Renuka Chowdhury, described as the “conspiracy of silence” surrounding child sexual abuse. [12] The report uncovered some alarming statistics, though, as explained below, the report methodology was limited and the numbers should be taken more as an indication of the seriousness of the problem than a reflection of the actual incidence of abuse.[13] Of the children interviewed, more than half (53 percent) said that they had been subjected to one or more forms of sexual abuse. Over 20 percent of those interviewed said they were subjected to severe forms of abuse, defined in the report as “sexual assault, making the child fondle private parts, making the child exhibit private body parts and being photographed in the nude.” Of those who said they were sexually abused, 57 percent were boys.[14] 
 
 The survey also found that very few cases are ever reported. The vast majority of victims (72 percent) said that they did not report the matter to anyone and only 3 percent of them or their families told the police. In most cases the perpetrator was known to the child. For example, 31 percent of sexual assaults were committed by the victim's uncle or neighbor . Among those interviewed, children living on the street, in institutions, or already working were more likely to be the victims of sexual assault than those living with their parents and attending school, but even wealthy families were affected. 
 
 The government survey was based on interviews with 12,500 children in 13 different states and was one of the largest ever conducted in the world. However, many child protection experts have criticized the way it was carried out and even its authors admit that most of the respondents were from especially vulnerable backgrounds . For example, when researchers visited schools, they interviewed pupils who their teachers had already identified as being at risk from abuse.[15]Thus, drawing broader conclusions about the percentages of all Indian children affected, given that no random sample of children was done, would be misleading. However, the survey does show that the problem is very significant and that the government is aware of it . 
 
 Other studies have shown the seriousness of the problem. In 1998 the Indian NGO Recovery and Healing from Incest (RAHI) conducted India's first study of child sexual abuse. It surveyed 600 English-speaking middle and upper-class women, 76 percent of whom said they had been abused in childhood or adolescence, 40 percent by at least one family member, most commonly an uncle or cousin. [16] 
 
 More recently, in 2005, the international organization Save the Children and an Indian NGO, Tulir - Centre for Healing and Prevention of Child Sex Abuse, surveyed 2,211 school-going children, from different backgrounds, in Chennai. [17] At least 48 percent of the boys and 39 percent of the girls interviewed said they had faced sexual abuse of one form or another, mainly from people they knew, while 15 percent of the children complained of severe forms of abuse, defined in this study as “oral sex, sexual intercourse, making the child touch the offender's private parts, or making the children take off their clothes and looking at them or taking their pictures.” 
 
 Official crime records are also indicative of how serious a problem this is. In response to the widely reported rape and murder of a 23-year old student in New Delhi in December 2012, the UN resident coordinator in India and the UNICEF representative issued a joint statement calling for better protection of women and girls against sexual violence. “It is alarming that too many of these cases are children. One in three rape victims is a child. More than 7,200 children, including infants are raped every year. Given the stigma attached to rapes, especially when it comes to children, this most likely is only the tip of the iceberg,” said Louis-Georges Arsenault, UNICEF representative to India.[18] 
 
 Together with nongovernmental organizations, India’s media has played a leading role in increasing awareness of child sexual abuse in the country. As well as highlighting the enormous scale of the problem, journalists have also exposed failings in the system to protect children, putting considerable pressure on the government to act. Public outrage after high-profile cases has forced the government to address the problem. 
 
 In May 2012, in a major step forward, the India's parliament enacted its first law outlawing child sexual abuse. The demand for this law became more urgent after the widely reported case involving Ruchika Girhotra, who was sexually abused in 1990 by a senior police officer when she was 14. Even though there was an eyewitness to the abuse, the alleged perpetrator, SPS Rathore, escaped prosecution for years. Instead he received numerous promotions and eventually retired as Haryana state’s senior-most officer. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Girhotra family said they became the victims of a campaign of harassment. Ruchika was expelled from school, and her brother was arrested several times for theft. Three years after she was abused, Ruchika committed suicide.[19] 
 
 Finally, 19 years later, in December 2009, Rathore was convicted but sentenced to prison for just six months for “molesting” Ruchika, the only existing law under which he could face charges. After widespread outrage, the Central Bureau of Investigation appealed for a tougher punishment, and a court in Haryana increased the term to 18 months. Rathore is presently out on bail while the appeal of his conviction is pending.[20] 
 
 The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was established in 2007 and is an autonomous watchdog or ombudsman, whose mandate is to ensure that “all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”[21] It has been responsible for some important interventions, such as a campaign against corporal punishment in schools. Despite concerns that it is short staffed, the commission has also been charged with monitoring the implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, as well as India’s ambitious Right to Education Act of 2009, which compels state governments to provide free education in neighborhood schools to all 6 to 14-year-olds and contains important provisions on child protection.[22] 
 
 The NCPCR was set up after the discovery in December 2006 of one of the grisliest crimes in Indian history, when at least 19 children and young women were apparently raped and then killed. The murders came to light when workmen came across body parts while unblocking a sewer in front of a home in Noida, a wealthy suburb outside New Delhi. For months the parents of missing young women and children in the nearby slum of Nithari had complained to the police that their girls and boys had disappeared and named the man responsible.[23] However, the police refused to help them. The NCPCR was established to intervene in cases such as this, where the police failed to accept complaints or properly investigate a crime. 
 
 However, the Indian government has yet to create an effective social services network to protect children and prevent crimes against them. This shortfall became news in 2012 when Falak, a two-year-old girl, was brought to the hospital with serious injuries, including cuts to her head and bite marks on her cheeks and leg. She died two months later. [24] 
 
 Falak had been left in the care of a 14-year-old, who herself had had a violent upbringing. Her father used to beat her, as did a warden in a children’s residential care facility where she lived for three years. [25] After being coerced into sex work, she was left taking care of Falak, an illegally adopted baby. She told investigators that she had slapped and bitten the infant to stop her from crying. [26] At no time had the state social service system stepped in to assist the 14-year-old despite her history of domestic violence, abuse in a residential care facility, and sexual abuse. 
 
 According to Raj Mangal Prasad, chairman of the Child Welfare Committee of South Delhi, which was responsible for looking after both girls once their plight became known, “the story is a grim reminder of failure of the government ... There are lakhs [hundreds of thousands] of Falaks in our country who are waiting for immediate help.” [27] ||||| INDIANAPOLIS—United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the filing of formal charges against Jared S. Fogle for distributing and receiving child pornography, and conspiring to do so, as well as repeatedly traveling to engage in commercial sex acts with underage minors. Fogle, 37, of Zionsville, Indiana, was charged by Information and has notified the U.S. District Court that he will plead guilty to all charges. He had his initial appearance before a magistrate judge earlier today and was released on home detention with GPS monitoring and other conditions. The case was the result of a joint state, local and federal investigation by the Indiana State Police, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. 
 
 According to Minkler, “Mr. Fogle has admitted in court pleadings that he received child pornography involving multiple minors living in Indiana and other countries over the course of several years. His child pornography crime began when he learned that alleged co-conspirator Russell Taylor was sexually exploiting a 14 year old girl in March 2011. At that time, Mr. Fogle did nothing to stop the abuse or report it to authorities, but chose instead to receive and repeatedly view the child pornography involving the girl and those other minors produced by his alleged co-conspirator in the years that followed. It total, Mr. Fogle admitted in court pleadings filed today that his actions caused the sexual victimization of a total of 12 minors in Indiana before his co-conspirator’s arrest in April 2015. He preyed on minor victims who did not have the ability to protect themselves.” 
 
 Minkler further explained, “Mr. Fogle has also admitted in court papers that he repeatedly traveled to other states to engage in commercial sex acts with victims he knew were underage minors. This criminal conduct began years before his child pornography activities and did not involve Taylor. Such activities have devastating effects in the lives of minors subjected to such sex trafficking. Federal law provides strong punishment for engaging in commercial sex acts with minors under the age of 18 years or producing child pornography involving any minor under the age of 18 years. We will remain steadfast in our dedication to protecting children from offenders like him.” 
 
 According to the detailed charging Information and the admitted facts contained in Plea Agreement, between March of 2011, and January of 2015, Russell C. Taylor (who was federally charged in a separate case in May 2015) allegedly produced child pornography involving 12 minor victims in Indiana. Taylor secretly produced the images and videos of these minors, who were between 9 and 16 years old. The victims were filmed in Taylor’s house using multiple hidden cameras which were concealed in clock radios and positioned so they would capture the victims changing clothes, showering, bathing or engaging in other activities. Taylor allegedly then shared some of these images and videos with Fogle, who knew the victims were minors. During conversations and text messages with Taylor, Fogle made comments approving of the activity and discussed some of the minors by name. However, Fogle did not receive all of the material Taylor allegedly produced. 
 
 Fogle also allegedly received commercially produced child pornography videos from Taylor, who allegedly obtained the material through Internet sources. The videos were made outside of the United States by other persons and showed the sexual abuse of victims as young as six years old. Fogle viewed some of these video files on a computer provided by Taylor as well as through text messages and a thumb drive. On one occasion, Fogle allegedly displayed some of these videos to another person using a thumb drive provided by Taylor. 
 
 From 2007 until June of 2015, Fogle repeatedly engaged in Internet social networking and traveled to other states for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual acts with at least two underage minors. He did this using an e-mail account, social networking websites containing advertisements for escorts or erotic services, online messaging, and text messages. On November 3, 2012, Fogle traveled to New York City and engaged in commercial sexual acts with a 17 year old female. This occurred at the Plaza Hotel, where Fogle was staying. The following day, Fogle sent text messages to the victim offering to pay her a fee, if she could find another underage girl to have sex with him. During the text discussions, Fogle stated he would accept a 16 year old girl, while indicating the younger the better. 
 
 On December 27, 2012, Fogle sent text messages to the same 17 year old victim, offering a fee if she could find a young minor to engage in sex. He provided the victim with an e-mail address and asked her to send him pictures of herself. She complied and sent three, two of which were pornographic. Fogle acknowledged receiving the photos and expressed his approval. 
 
 In January 2013, Fogle engaged in commercial sex with the same victim at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York City, where he was staying. The victim provided Fogle with her true age when they first met and he knew that she was not yet 18 years old. The meetings with the victim were arranged through Internet communication and text messages to discuss sexually explicit details and financial terms. 
 
 Court filings also stated that Fogle engaged in commercial sex acts with a second underage minor in New York City. At other times, Fogle offered to pay adult prostitutes a finder’s fee if they could provide him underage minors for commercial sex acts with him, including minors as young as 14-15 years old. 
 
 Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said, “This entire investigation started with one lone tip to a state police officer. From that point the full resources of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force were brought to bear. This included investigators and forensic examiners from the state police, the Indianapolis Metro PD and the FBI.” Carter concluded, “This clearly demonstrates celebrity status does not serve as a shield from criminal prosecution, especially when such despicable crimes are perpetrated against children.” 
 
 “In our society, children are our most precious resource,” said IMPD Chief Rick Hite. “It is our collective responsibility to protect them from predators and bring to justice anyone who causes them hurt, harm, or danger.” 
 
 “As with all child pornography cases, the FBI investigates these cases with a sense of urgency due to the extreme vulnerability of the victims involved; our children,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, W. Jay Abbott. “This case demonstrates that commitment to investigate those who would possess child pornography. The FBI looks forward to continuing its work on such matters with the United States Attorney’s Office, the Indiana State Police and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.” 
 
 According to Senior Litigation Counsel Steven D. DeBrota, who is prosecuting the case for the government, under the terms of the plea agreement, Fogle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, and supervised release after serving his prison sentence for at least five years and up to the remainder of his life. There is no agreed sentence in the case and the government may request of up to 151 months of imprisonment. However, Fogle may not request a sentence below five years of imprisonment. 
 
 The Plea Agreement also requires Fogle to pay a total of $1,400,000 in restitution to the 14 victims in the case, 8 of whom are still minors, and forfeit assets of $50,000. This is the largest amount of restitution ever ordered for a child pornography or sex trafficking case in the history of the Southern District of Indiana. The victims will be able to use these funds to pay for counseling and treatment to combat the debilitating life effects of these crimes. 
 
 The facts stated in the Information are allegations only, and Fogle and Taylor are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. While Fogle has signed a plea agreement and notified the Court he will plead guilty as charged, the hearing to accept his plea of guilty has not yet been scheduled. He will appear before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
– His public push to end sexual violence against children was so significant it reportedly nabbed him a nomination for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. Joel Davis' private actions couldn't have been more contradictory, say police. The 22-year-old Columbia University student, who started Youth to End Sexual Violence before becoming chairman of a group of more than 5,000 human rights organizations, was arrested Tuesday in Manhattan on charges of child pornography and attempting to sexually exploit children, reports the Columbia Spectator. Davis allegedly responded to a post left by an undercover FBI agent on a "fetish" website, per the Washington Post. In a series of text messages, he admitted to past sexual experiences with children as young as infants, including a 13-year-old boy he met in June through the Grindr app, police say. Showing "the highest degree of hypocrisy," Davis also tried to arrange meetings with children supposedly in the care of undercover agents, says the FBI's William F. Sweeney Jr. "As if this wasn't repulsive enough, Davis allegedly possessed and distributed utterly explicit images of innocent infants and toddlers being sexually abused by adults." US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman calls the development "as unfathomable as it is sickening" given that Davis has rubbed elbows with Angelina Jolie, served as a youth ambassador for the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, and is now leading the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence. Davis, who last year described being "tormented by the recollection of my childhood sex abuse" and spoke out about child rape in war zones in a 2014 Huffington Post op-ed, could face up to 70 years in prison.