Baton Rouge’s Matthew Chaney Walker Gets 20 Years for Sextortion

Baton Rouge man Matthew Chaney Walker, 26, is headed to federal prison for 240 months after admitting to a predatory sextortion scheme that targeted underage girls across multiple states. U.S. Attorney Walt Green confirmed the sentence handed down by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, who ordered Walker to serve two decades behind bars for exploiting children through calculated digital manipulation and blackmail.

Walker pleaded guilty on January 7, 2016, to four counts of extortion under 18 U.S.C. § 875(d), three counts of production of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251(a) and 2, and three counts of receipt of child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2). Court records show he posed as a teenage girl online, using fake screen names to lure victims into sexually explicit conversations and trick them into sending nude images. He then weaponized those images, threatening to distribute them to families, schools, and social circles unless the girls sent even more graphic content.

The scheme, which unfolded in 2014, relied on psychological terror. Walker sent victims photos of other minors—falsely claiming they were of himself—to gain trust and escalate sexual demands. Once he had compromising material, the blackmail began. The victims, some of whom were as young as 13, believed they had no escape. Their compliance led directly to the creation and transmission of child sexual abuse material at Walker’s direction.

Following his sentencing, Walker was remanded immediately into federal custody. In addition to his 20-year prison term, he will serve a mandatory 10-year period of supervised release, pay $6,247.59 in restitution to victims, a $1,000 special assessment, and a $100,000 criminal fine. Judge Jackson made it clear: there would be no delay in justice.

“This case provides another tragic cautionary tale for anyone concerned about the dangers posed to our children by criminals on the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Green. “This defendant sexually exploited his victims by extortion and psychological manipulation, often preying on children in the supposed safety of their own homes.” Green praised the investigative and prosecutorial teams, as well as the courage of the victims and their families.

Raymond R. Parmer Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, emphasized that predators like Walker won’t evade consequences. “HSI will continue to aggressively investigate and arrest the people who seek to prey on the most vulnerable in our society,” Parmer said. The case was jointly pursued by HSI and the U.S. Secret Service, with critical support from law enforcement in Louisiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Michigan, Ontario, and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam T. Le, the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Middle District of Louisiana, led the prosecution.