A Texas pastor pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of child pornography after he was found with more than 100,000 child sex abuse images, according to local authorities.
David Lloyd Walther, 57, was the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock at the time of his arrest, local outlet KSAT12 reported. Walther pleaded guilty in federal court in Austin to an enhanced charge of possession of child pornography, according to local Fox affiliate Fox7Austin.
During a search of Walther’s home and vehicle in Nov. 2022, authorities found two hard drives containing over 100,000 images and 5,000 videos of child sexual abuse material, according to a Thursday press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Western District of Texas. (RELATED: Elementary School Teacher Facing Multiple Charges Of Child Pornography)
More than 100,000 images and more than 5,000 videos of child sex abuse material were found during a search of the former Round Rock pastor’s home and vehicle. https://t.co/kXAgsX3rFS
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) June 29, 2023
Walther utilized the popular peer-to-peer file sharing network BitTorrent to search for, download, distribute and possess the material, according to the press release.
The pastor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to authorities.
“The FBI San Antonio Division’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with invaluable assistance from the Round Rock Police Department, is investigating the case,” the release continued. “The FBI also appreciates the assistance received by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center.”