Topline: Joseph Toews allegedly used cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material and filmed prepubescent girls at his workplace
Published: May 22, 2026 6:00 am ET
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Joseph Toews (via FBI)
LOS ANGELES — A California child therapist faces federal charges after he allegedly secretly filmed young girls in a workplace restroom and used cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material on the dark web.
Federal prosecutors charged Joseph Toews, 30, in a criminal complaint with the production, receipt and possession of child pornography, as per court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The FBI alleged in the complaint that Toews used Bitcoin transactions linked to his Robinhood account to buy child sexual abuse material from darknet websites between May and September 2024. Investigators traced at least five payments to websites that agents confirmed contained illegal material, according to the affidavit.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the home of Toews in Playa Vista, according to reporting by KTLA. Investigators said they seized digital devices that contained numerous files depicting child sexual abuse material.
The complaint alleges that investigators also found videos produced by Toews. Agents recovered recordings showing at least eight prepubescent girls inside a restroom at his former workplace.
As detailed by CBS News, a federal grand jury indicted Toews following accusations that he secretly recorded the girls, who are believed to be between the ages of 8 and 12, using a camera hidden above a toilet.
Investigators said they found a video that shows Toews setting up the hidden camera. His face is clearly visible in the footage, according to the complaint.
Agents also found 12 hidden-camera recordings from November 2022. The videos show Toews conducting play therapy sessions with prepubescent girls. Investigators said they believe these recordings were tests of a concealed camera system used before the restroom recordings.
Authorities also alleged they found secretly recorded videos of the Toews’s wife inside their home. The recordings were made in a bedroom and a restroom, according to the affidavit.
The complaint states that investigators found numerous other child sexual abuse material files on the devices. The files included videos depicting the abuse of toddlers, and one filename referenced a 3-year-old child.
Toews remains in federal custody. The FBI is currently asking anyone with information regarding potential victims to contact authorities at 310 477-6565 or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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FBI: California Therapist Charged With Federal Child Pornography Crimes
Joseph Toews allegedly used cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material and filmed prepubescent girls at his workplace
By Kate Byrd
Published: May 22, 2026 6:00 am ET
Joseph Toews (via FBI)
LOS ANGELES — A California child therapist faces federal charges after he allegedly secretly filmed young girls in a workplace restroom and used cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material on the dark web.
Federal prosecutors charged Joseph Toews, 30, in a criminal complaint with the production, receipt and possession of child pornography, as per court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The FBI alleged in the complaint that Toews used Bitcoin transactions linked to his Robinhood account to buy child sexual abuse material from darknet websites between May and September 2024. Investigators traced at least five payments to websites that agents confirmed contained illegal material, according to the affidavit.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the home of Toews in Playa Vista, according to reporting by KTLA. Investigators said they seized digital devices that contained numerous files depicting child sexual abuse material.
The complaint alleges that investigators also found videos produced by Toews. Agents recovered recordings showing at least eight prepubescent girls inside a restroom at his former workplace.
As detailed by CBS News, a federal grand jury indicted Toews following accusations that he secretly recorded the girls, who are believed to be between the ages of 8 and 12, using a camera hidden above a toilet.
Investigators said they found a video that shows Toews setting up the hidden camera. His face is clearly visible in the footage, according to the complaint.
Agents also found 12 hidden-camera recordings from November 2022. The videos show Toews conducting play therapy sessions with prepubescent girls. Investigators said they believe these recordings were tests of a concealed camera system used before the restroom recordings.
Authorities also alleged they found secretly recorded videos of the Toews’s wife inside their home. The recordings were made in a bedroom and a restroom, according to the affidavit.
The complaint states that investigators found numerous other child sexual abuse material files on the devices. The files included videos depicting the abuse of toddlers, and one filename referenced a 3-year-old child.
Toews remains in federal custody. The FBI is currently asking anyone with information regarding potential victims to contact authorities at 310 477-6565 or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
FBI: California Therapist Charged With Federal Child Pornography Crimes
Joseph Toews allegedly used cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material and filmed prepubescent girls at his workplace
By Kate Byrd
Published: May 22, 2026 6:00 am ET
Joseph Toews (via FBI)
LOS ANGELES — A California child therapist faces federal charges after he allegedly secretly filmed young girls in a workplace restroom and used cryptocurrency to buy child sexual abuse material on the dark web.
Federal prosecutors charged Joseph Toews, 30, in a criminal complaint with the production, receipt and possession of child pornography, as per court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The FBI alleged in the complaint that Toews used Bitcoin transactions linked to his Robinhood account to buy child sexual abuse material from darknet websites between May and September 2024. Investigators traced at least five payments to websites that agents confirmed contained illegal material, according to the affidavit.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at the home of Toews in Playa Vista, according to reporting by KTLA. Investigators said they seized digital devices that contained numerous files depicting child sexual abuse material.
The complaint alleges that investigators also found videos produced by Toews. Agents recovered recordings showing at least eight prepubescent girls inside a restroom at his former workplace.
As detailed by CBS News, a federal grand jury indicted Toews following accusations that he secretly recorded the girls, who are believed to be between the ages of 8 and 12, using a camera hidden above a toilet.
Investigators said they found a video that shows Toews setting up the hidden camera. His face is clearly visible in the footage, according to the complaint.
Agents also found 12 hidden-camera recordings from November 2022. The videos show Toews conducting play therapy sessions with prepubescent girls. Investigators said they believe these recordings were tests of a concealed camera system used before the restroom recordings.
Authorities also alleged they found secretly recorded videos of the Toews’s wife inside their home. The recordings were made in a bedroom and a restroom, according to the affidavit.
The complaint states that investigators found numerous other child sexual abuse material files on the devices. The files included videos depicting the abuse of toddlers, and one filename referenced a 3-year-old child.
Toews remains in federal custody. The FBI is currently asking anyone with information regarding potential victims to contact authorities at 310 477-6565 or online at tips.fbi.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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