A pastor from Texas has pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of child pornography in a federal court in Austin, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The pastor, identified as 57-year-old David Lloyd Walther, was a resident of Georgetown. The guilty plea was made on June 27 and relates to his involvement in searching for, downloading, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material, including child pornography, using the peer-to-peer file sharing network BitTorrent.
During a search of Walther’s home and vehicle in November 2022, law enforcement officers discovered two large computer hard drives containing over 100,000 images and over 5,000 videos of child sexual abuse material. The evidence clearly indicated that Walther had been actively engaging in these illegal activities. He immediately admitted to his crimes upon his arrest on November 11, 2022.
Since his arrest, Walther has expressed remorse and apologized for his actions on multiple occasions. He has admitted to specifically searching for, downloading, and possessing child pornography using BitTorrent. However, he also claimed that he was unaware of the fact that he had been distributing these illegal materials through the same network.
At the time of his arrest, Walther was serving as the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock. Church officials, including deacon David Clawson, expressed deep regret over the situation. Clawson stated that the church will continue to move forward in accordance with God’s guidance.
According to a complaint cited by the Austin American-Statesman, Walther revealed to an FBI agent that he had a pornography addiction and frequently engaged in downloading and viewing pornography featuring both adults and minors. He confessed that the children depicted in these materials ranged in age from 8 to 17 years old. Walther also disclosed that he had recently deleted child pornography files on November 8, 2022, shortly before authorities conducted a search of his home.
The complaint further stated that Walther often experienced feelings of guilt and would go through periods of “purging” files by deleting the images and associated files because he knew it was morally wrong.
An affidavit mentioned in a Law&Crime report revealed that Walther had some content related to BDSM and bestiality pornography involving children. These additional disturbing details highlight the gravity of his offenses.
Walther now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The FBI’s San Antonio Division’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is currently investigating the case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin is prosecuting it.
The prosecution of individuals involved in child pornography is crucial to protect the most vulnerable members of society. It serves as a reminder that those who engage in such heinous acts will be held accountable for their actions. The guilty plea and subsequent legal proceedings in this case are essential steps towards delivering justice and safeguarding children from exploitation. It is a stark reminder that no one is above the law, regardless of their position or background.
Source link
