Ohio Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

AKRON, Ohio - David Walker, 39, of Akron, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to receipt, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography. Walker was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

Walker was an active participant on BitTorrent, an internet service that allows users to download content such as images and videos easily. It utilizes each user's computer as a mini-server to facilitate computer-to-computer file sharing among users throughout the world. The technology allows thousands of people to download the same files without crashing the system which has made BitTorrent a commonly used protocol to share illegal files such as CSAM.

According to court documents, Walker received and distributed nearly 400 video files known to contain CSAM and exploitation of children. A computer tablet with CSAM files was recovered during the execution of a federal search warrant of his residence. Files were described to include male and female children of various ages under 17 including infants and toddlers. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, some of the victims were identified on the video files found in Walker's seized computer tablet.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, the Hamilton County Sherriff's Office, and the Brunswick Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.