Airline Employee Indicted For Attempted Coercion, Enticement Of A Minor And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Tampa, Florida -United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Brian Todd Walker (51, Bradenton) with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted on all counts, Walker faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to court documents, Walker contacted a 12-year-old female living in his community over the social media application, TikTok. Walker engaged in sexual conversations with who he believed to be the 12-year-old female and attempted to coerce and entice her to engage in sexual activity. Within the conversations, Walker shared his attraction to 12-year-old females and expressed his desire to meet in person. On June 24, 2024, Walker travelled to meet the minor in person at the community pool and was arrested at the scene. Law enforcement seized a cell phone from Walker and located images of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.