Inset Dustin J. Walker (Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The home where the Walkers’ 11-year-old stepdaughter gave birth in 2025 (KJRH).
The Oklahoma man who forced his 11-year-old stepdaughter to give birth at home without medical care will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Dustin Joel Walker, 35, received a life sentence plus 42 years on Monday, court records show. Muskogee County District Judge Timothy King ordered that Walker serve the 42 years — issued for six counts of child neglect — before starting the life sentence for a single count of sexual abuse of a child under 12.
If he is ever paroled, Walker faces three years of supervision. He also has to register as a sex offender. Additionally, he may not contact the victims.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Walker pleaded guilty in March to all seven counts. Walker entered a “blind plea,” meaning there was no agreement with prosecutors and his sentence would be left entirely to the judge’s discretion.
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.
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. The victim’s biological mother, Cherie Walker, and her maternal grandmother, Michelle Justus, have also been arrested and face charges in connection with the alleged abuse the child endured.
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. 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.
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.
Cherie Walker and Michelle Justus have both denied knowing the child was pregnant.
“I just want people to know, we did not know this was happening. None of us,” Justus previously told Tulsa NBC affiliate 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.
Cherie Walker is set to go on trial on July 13.
Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.
