A leading youth campaigner against rape and sexual violence has been arrested for possession of child pornography and attempting to arrange sexual encounters with children.

Joel Davis, 22, co-founder of advocacy group Youth to End Sexual Violence and a former UN youth ambassador for Sexual Violence in Conflict, appeared in court in Manhattan on Tuesday.

He has been charged with enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, as well as child pornography offences.

In text exchanges with FBI agents posing as paedophiles, Davis “allegedly arranged to meet the nine-year-old daughter of one of the undercover agents and with the purported two-year-old daughter of the officer's girlfriend”, the Daily Mail reports.

Child pornography, including images of infants and toddlers being abused, was allegedly also found in his possession.

Police said that, during questioning after his arrest, Davis “admitted to sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy in the past and keeping child porn images on his phone”, NBC reports.