AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that the Child Exploitation Unit (CEU) of his office arrested 60-year-old John Max Walter, of Hemphill, Texas, on one count of promotion of child pornography, a second-degree felony.
A tip from a social media networking site to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (MCMEC) led CEU investigators to Walter, a former volunteer firefighter for the city of Hemphill. During an interview, Walter admitted he uploaded an image of child pornography to his social media account and sent it to another user. A search of his home turned up digital devices that were taken for examination by the Digital Forensics Unit of the attorney general’s office.
Attorney General Paxton’s office works to protect children by using the latest technology to track down some of the most profoundly evil predators online. The CEU proactively seeks out and arrests predators who commit crimes against children using technology and online sources. Attorney General Paxton urges all parents and teachers to become aware of the risks our children face on the internet and take steps to help ensure their children’s safety. If you suspect someone is producing or downloading child pornography you can report it to NCMEC. For more information on cyber safety, please visit: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/initiatives/cyber-safety/.