Idaho man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on child pornography charges
BOISE, Idaho – A Twin Falls man was sentenced Tuesday to 300 months in federal prison and 25 years of supervised release for transportation and possession of child pornography, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Stephen Roy Walker, 43, pleaded guilty Aug. 4, admitting to transporting 462 digital images and 42 digital videos containing child pornography from Texas to Idaho. Walker further admitted that he was depicted in 78 of the images, and four of the videos, engaging in sexually explicit conduct with one of three children living with him at the Old Towne Lodge. Walker also acknowledged he took the images while living in Texas then transported them to Idaho.
"Three innocent children were rescued from a life of certain continued victimization thanks to the swift action of our special agents and partners involved in investigating this case," said Steve Cagen, acting special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. "No child should be subject to this type of cruel punishment. Together, HSI and local law enforcement strive to assist traumatized youth by holding all child predators accountable for their deeds."
According to the plea agreement, in February 2014, HSI agents served a search warrant at the Old Towne Lodge in Twin Falls, where Walker was living with three minor children. Agents seized computers and electronic devices pursuant to the warrant, and a subsequent forensic examination of the devices revealed images of child pornography.
The case was investigated in cooperation with the Twin Falls Police Department, and both agencies received substantial assistance with the probe from Buhl Police Department, the Idaho State Police, and the Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson prosecuted the case with Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill presiding. As a result of his conviction, Walker will be required to register as a sex offender.
"The U.S. Attorney's Office will aggressively work with our local, state, and federal partners to stop the sexual exploitation of children," said Olson. "Those who continue to victimize children will be targeted and prosecuted. Mr. Walker is being severely and appropriately punished for his criminal conduct."
The charges in this case are a product of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators.
Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 14,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
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