A 35-year-old Oklahoma man, Dustin Joel Walker, has been sentenced to life in prison plus 42 years for sexually abusing his 11-year-old stepdaughter and forcing her to give birth to his child at home without medical assistance. Walker pleaded guilty in March to six counts of child neglect and one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12. His sentence was determined by Muskogee County District Judge Timothy King, as no plea agreement was made.
The child reportedly gave birth to a full-term baby in August of last year. Authorities stated that she received no prenatal care or medical attention during the pregnancy or birth. Following the birth, the child was taken to a local hospital, which led to charges against Walker and the child's mother, Cherie Walker, for neglect. A DNA test later confirmed Walker as the father with 99 percent certainty.
"This child is traumatized. She's been through a horrific ordeal," Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson said, according to Law & Crime. "Not only has somebody gotten her pregnant but she gave birth at home without medical assistance, and this will be with her life for the rest of her life."
Investigators found that Walker had abused the child on multiple occasions, leading to the pregnancy. The child had also been pulled out of school, potentially hindering intervention by educators or medical professionals. It is understood that she may have been homeschooled during that period.
Adults in the household, including the child's mother, Cherie Walker, and maternal grandmother, Michelle Justus, were also found to have failed in providing basic care, supervision, and medical attention to the child. Court documents indicate the child had not seen a doctor in over a year. While Cherie Walker and Michelle Justus denied knowledge of the pregnancy, Justus previously suggested a local 12-year-old boy was responsible for the abuse.
Cherie Walker was charged with enabling child sexual abuse. Hutson described the case as one of the most serious child sexual abuse and neglect cases she has prosecuted. Inside the home, five other children, aged two to nine, were found living in what authorities described as "deplorable conditions," with evidence of urine and dog feces, and lacking basic amenities like air conditioning and running water.
All children were removed from the home last year. If paroled, Walker will face three years of supervision and must register as a sex offender. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. Michelle Justus is scheduled to appear in court on July 13.