Convicted Ex-Texas Pastor Sued for Restitution
Walther, who faced up to 20 years in prison, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to an “enhanced charge of possession of child pornography.” He was sentenced to a 70-month prison term, plus 10 years of supervised release. A federal judge also ordered Walther to pay $61,000 in restitution.
The former pastor is serving his sentence in a federal prison in California.
Jaime Esparza, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, said at the time of Walther’s arrest that many local families had “placed their trust in this man when he served as a leader in faith for their community.”
Esparza added, “I hope that those families can find comfort in knowing our law enforcement partners and justice system are committed to protecting them, ensuring that predators such as Walther cannot continue to pose a threat to innocent children.”
Authorities said some of the CSAM material found in Walther’s possession depicted minors who were prepubescent. The FBI investigated the case through its Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
