Twin Falls Man Gets 25 Years for Child Porn Crimes

Stephen Roy Walker, 43, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison — 25 years — for transporting and possessing child pornography, marking one of the state’s most disturbing child exploitation cases in recent years. U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson confirmed the sentence, handed down today in U.S. District Court, followed by an additional 25 years of supervised release.

Walker pleaded guilty on August 5, 2016, to federal charges after a Homeland Security investigation uncovered a digital archive of abuse. In February 2014, agents raided the Old Towne Lodge in Twin Falls, where Walker was living with three minor children. A forensic sweep of seized electronics revealed hundreds of illegal images and videos — 462 images and 42 videos — that Walker admitted to transporting from Texas to Idaho.

The material included content from 46 known child pornography series, featuring prepubescent minors and acts of sadistic and masochistic abuse. Even more horrifying, Walker confessed to producing 78 images and four videos depicting himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with one of the children residing with him. He admitted to creating the images in Texas and bringing them across state lines into Idaho, elevating the crime to federal transportation of child pornography.

Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered Walker to forfeit two laptop computers, an external hard drive, and a digital camera used in the commission of the crimes. As a convicted sex offender, Walker is now required to register for life, subject to strict monitoring and community notification protocols.

“Three innocent children were rescued from a life of certain continued victimization thanks to the swift action of our special agents and partners,” 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.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Twin Falls Police Department, with support from the Buhl Police Department, Idaho State Police, and the Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. It was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation. Launched in 2006, the program combines federal, state, and local efforts to dismantle networks of abuse, rescue victims, and bring predators like Walker to justice.

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