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WEST VALLEY CITY — A West Valley man has been charged with "grooming" a girl he held a position of special trust over and forcing her for several years to pay off her debt with sex acts.
Robert Denis Walter, 68, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with human trafficking of a child, a first-degree felony.
A girl told investigators she met Walter in 2020 when she was a young teenager. By the time she was an older teen a couple of years later, she says "things 'started getting weird' between her and Walter," according to charging documents. "Walter would buy things for her, and she was expected to pay him back."
Because the girl did not have a lot of money, Walter would "deduct an amount off what she owed each time" she performed a sex act, the charges allege, adding that he also requested inappropriate photos of the girl and sent her "many inappropriate text messages discussing sexual conduct."
The girl told investigators that Walter "apologized in November 2023 for 'grooming her,'" the charges state.
When questioned by police, Walter allegedly "admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with one of his 'Congo children.'"
Investigators say Walter "took advantage of (the girl's) immigration status and preyed upon her vulnerabilities and her dependence on him. (He) is a volunteer in the children's ministry through his church and has regular contact with children and others in the vulnerable population," according to the charging documents.
