Inset Dustin J. Walker (Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The home where the Walkers’ 11-year-old stepdaughter gave birth last year (KJRH).
A 35-year-old man in Oklahoma is facing decades in prison for abusing and neglecting his 11-year-old stepdaughter, who was impregnated and gave birth inside the family’s home where she had “no medical care.”
Dustin Joel Walker on Friday pleaded guilty to six counts of child neglect and one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12, court records show.
Walker entered a “blind plea,” meaning there was no agreement with prosecutors and his sentence will be left entirely to the discretion of the presiding judge. The categories of crimes to which he pleaded also require that Walker complete at least 85% of his prison sentence before he is eligible for parole.
The victim’s biological mother, Cherie Walker, and her maternal grandmother, Michelle Justus, have also been arrested and face charges in connection with the abuse suffered by the child.
Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson said DNA testing showed a “99% certainty” that Walker is the infant’s father and expressed hope that the plea would lead to significant prison time, according to a report from Tulsa NBC affiliate KJRH.
“Ultimately, it will be, we only did a blind plea today,” Hutson said. “A pre-sentence investigation was ordered. There will be a sentencing hearing on June 18 and I am hopeful for a lengthy sentence.”
Hutson noted that the charges carry potential sentences up to life in prison, which in Oklahoma is calculated as 45 years — meaning Walker would have to serve more than 38 years before becoming eligible for parole if given a life sentence.
Defense attorney Ben Hilfiger told the station it was not typical for him to advise a client to enter a blind plea, but in this case, he “didn’t feel like there was one that we could get that would be useful or helpful in any way,” adding that the potential punishment is “wide open.”
Authorities say the child gave birth to a full-term baby inside the home without ever receiving prenatal care or seeing a doctor during the pregnancy.
In an interview with Tulsa-based CBS affiliate KOTV, Hutson described the victim as “rather petite,” noting the newborn was a normal-sized infant, while also pushing back on claims from the adults that they were unaware of the pregnancy.
“This child is traumatized. She’s been through a horrific ordeal,” the prosecutor said. “I mean, not only has somebody gotten her pregnant, but she gave birth at home without medical assistance, and this will be her life for the rest of her life.”
Hutson also indicated the victim had been pulled out of school, which limited opportunities for teachers or medical professionals to spot the abuse and intervene.
“The child had been out of school for a period of time, and it is my understanding that children may have been homeschooled,” Hutson said.
Hutson urged the public to report suspected abuse or neglect, saying resources are available through law enforcement and child welfare agencies.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the case came to light after authorities learned the 11-year-old had given birth inside the home, prompting an investigation into the conditions in which she had been living.
Investigators allege Walker repeatedly abused the child, resulting in the pregnancy, while the adults in the home failed to provide basic care, supervision, or medical attention. Court records indicated the girl had not seen a doctor in more than a year prior to giving birth.
Cherie Walker and Michelle Justus have both denied knowing the child was pregnant, though prosecutors have argued the circumstances surrounding the birth and lack of medical care point to severe neglect.
“I just want people to know, we did not know this was happening. None of us,” Justus previously told KJRH. “They’ve made my daughter and my son-in-law a monster. They are not. They love those children. They love them.”
Justus also previously accused a 12-year-old neighborhood boy of impregnating her grandchild.
Walker is currently scheduled to appear for his sentencing hearing on June 18.
