Jesse Shenk

Jesse Shenk [Jesse Lee Baker Shenk] is a registered sex offender who reportedly engaged in activism with the neo-Nazi Goyim Defense League (GDL) in November 2020 020 alongside GDL founder Jon Minadeo. 

In February 2021, Shenk arranged a meeting with someone he thought was a minor with the intent to commit sexual acts. Shenk was convicted in August 2021.

As of August 2023, publicly available sources indicated Shenk was a resident of Arcata, California (CA). In March 2021, he was arrested by Humboldt County authorities, where Arcata is located.

Arrested in 2021

In August 2021, Shenk was reportedly sentenced to 245 days in prison, two years of probation, and a fine of $2,500, and was registered as a sex offender for arranging a meeting with a person he believed was a minor with the intention to engage in sexual activity. According to the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office (DNSO) in California, Shenk engaged in an online conversation with an “adult posing as a 14-year-old.”

The non-profit Worldwide Predator Hunters, who participated in the investigation, posted on Facebook screenshots of the conversation between Shenk and the decoy minor.

In a screenshot of their conversation, Shenk said to the minor: “dang that’s crazy, u don’t look 14 in those pics.” The decoy minor replied: “is that good.”

In another screenshot, Shenk asked the decoy minor: “... did u make urself cum” to which the decoy minor answered: “dnt thinkso.” Shenk then responded: “maybe i can help you with that.”

Also in another screenshot, Shenk asked the decoy minor: “will you sit on my face…” to which the minor answered: “sit on ur face?? why.” Shenk then responded: “so i can eat you and make you cum.” 

Shenk asked the decoy minor in another screenshot: “Do you want to come over? Are you trying to f**k.” 

Also in another screenshot, Shenk asked the decoy minor: “will u send me a pic of ur p**sy. pic for pic.”
 
According to DNSO, on February 25, 2021, Shenk reportedly traveled to Klamath, CA, where investigators believed he planned to “transport whom he believed to be a 14-year-old child to his residence in Arcata to perform sexual acts. Those acts included sharing graphic pornographic photos of himself, oral copulation, sexual intercourse, as well as sodomy.” 

Shenk was then arrested and charged with:

• 311.2 PC, production, distribution of obscene matter;
• 313.1(a) PC, distribution and exhibition of harmful matter to a minor;
• 288.3 (a) PC, contact or communicate with a minor with intent to commit specified offenses;
• 288.4(a)(1) PC, arrangement of meeting with a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd acts;
• 664/288(a) attempted lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age;
• 664/287, attempted oral copulation and 664/286 attempted sodomy.

GDL Activism

In a screenshot reportedly taken during a November 2020 GDL livestream, Shenk sat next to GDL co-founder Jon Minadeo on “an overpass near Berkeley, CA.”

Minadeo co-founded the GDL in 2018. GDL activists have placed anti-Semitic banners on major highway overpasses nationwide. Minadeo and other GDL activists use the video-sharing platform GoyimTV (GTV) to broadcast their livestreams.

“Goy” means “nation” in Hebrew and Yiddish and refers to a non-Jew. The plural is “goyim.”

Minadeo and GDL activists have verbally assaulted [02:55:40] members of the public and police officers with anti-Semitic and racial slurs. Minadeo has recruited [00:29:50] an extensive network of GDL activists who distribute thousands of anti-Semitic flyers throughout America. GDL was reportedly behind “over 370…propaganda incidents in 43 different states” in 2022, a 500 percent increase from those recorded in 2021.