Photo by Michele Newbanks Washington County Public Defender Ray Smith explains the Reagan Tokes Act to his client, Christopher Walker, after Walker was sentenced to six years in prison Friday morning.

Photo by Michele Newbanks
Washington County Public Defender Ray Smith explains the Reagan Tokes Act to his client, Christopher Walker, after Walker was sentenced to six years in prison Friday morning.

Christopher Walker, 30, of 2863 Sealy Ridge Road, pleaded guilty in July to one count of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony; and three counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, all second-degree felonies.

He was sentenced to six years on the first count and six years on counts two through four, which will be run concurrently.

According to police reports, an investigation into Walker began in March 2019 based on tips the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received. Information was that an image of a nude prepubescent girl was downloaded to a cell phone in July 2019. During a search of Walker’s home investigators reviewed a Samsung cell phone, LG cell phone, SanDisk thumb drive and Toshiba satellite computer owned by Walker and found thousands of images. All four devices were forfeited as part of the plea agreement and will be destroyed, said Washington County Assistant Prosecutor Joe Derkin.

He said some of the images were of very young children.

“From babies to teens,” he said.

At the time Walker was arrested, he was on community control for unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance. He was given four years community control in March 2019 after having a 9mm Glock pistol altered to be fully automatic while he was drug dependent.

“When they got him, he had the (child pornography) penalties on the screen,” he said. Walker also had a notebook with email addresses and passwords for the sites and devices out in the open.

The image which started the investigation was found on the LG phone. Many of the downloaded photographs and videos showed children and adults in sexually explicit poses or acts.

Derkin quoted from The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction about the effects of child pornography on the children.

“The children whose abuse is captured in child pornography images suffer not just from the sexual abuse graphically memorialized in the images, but also from a separate victimization, knowing that the images of that abuse are accessible, usually on the Internet, and are traded by other offenders who receive sexual gratification from the children’s distress,” he read. “They experience anxiety as a result of the perpetual fear of humiliation that they will be recognized from the images.”

Walker’s attorney, Ray Smith, said the second-degree felony was geared toward people who produced child pornography, not people who possess it. Possessing child pornography is a fourth-degree felony, he said.

“He was candid about his involvement and his criminal record is one page and mostly minor misdemeanors,” he added.

Smith said Walker was addressing his drug addiction at the Hopewell Health Center. In his own defense, Walker apologized.

The penalty for a second-degree felony is 2 to 8 years, while the fourth-degree penalty is at most 18 months.

Smith asked for a three or four year sentence, while Derkin asked for six years.

Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi said there was a moderate risk of Walker re-offending. He said what upset him was that this was done while Walker was under the supervision of the parole board.

“You were under supervision. Obviously, supervision did you no good,” he said.

His maximum sentence was 48 years. Walker will receive a mandatory five years of post-release control and will be listed as Tier II sex offender. As a Tier II sex offender, he will be required to register with the sheriff’s office every 180 days for the next 25 years.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.