A man from Virginia has been arrested in Utah for engaging in inappropriate behavior during a game of “truth or dare” with a group of young boys, according to local authorities.
Robert Paul Walker, 42, faces charges including failure to register as a sex offender, tampering with a witness, and multiple counts of lewdness involving a child, as reported by the Saratoga Springs Police Department.
Authorities report that the father of several of the alleged victims knew about the defendant’s history with similar offenses.
This week, an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Salt Lake City-based ABC affiliate KTVX reveals that the defendant was arrested.
Authorities claim that multiple victims aged 10 to 12 attended a gathering organized by Walker. At the gathering, it is reported that the accused urged the young boys to engage in a game of truth or dare, with the dares reportedly becoming increasingly inappropriate, according to witness statements to the authorities.
According to police, Walker had the victims participate in another game he called the “Touch Your Body Challenge.” This game reportedly included nudity and sexual activities.
A registered sex offender, the defendant has a sexual battery conviction from 2005 in the Old Dominion, as noted in a registry kept by the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The affidavit highlights Walker’s situation and indicates that the father of two boys was fully informed about the defendant’s background.
The father informed the police that he had been acquainted with Walker for approximately nine years, as stated in the affidavit. The father stated that the defendant disclosed his past as a sex offender during that period. The father informed investigators that he suspected Walker had a compulsion for watching child sexual abuse material. The father stated that the defendant had been staying with his family intermittently since April, and that Walker would sometimes take his children out of school, according to police reports.
Walker has reportedly confessed to the father that he had been grooming the two children, according to authorities. The father reportedly expressed remorse to investigators for placing his trust in the defendant and permitting the registered sex offender to be near his children.
Following the inappropriate activities, Walker reportedly urged several victims to keep quiet about the incidents, threatening that he would face jail time if they spoke out, as per court documents referenced by CBS affiliate KUTV in Salt Lake City.
The charges of lewdness are classified as class A misdemeanors, while the registration violation and witness tampering charges are considered third-degree felonies. Walker could be looking at nearly 15 years behind bars if the current charges stick.
The individual is presently held at the Utah County Jail with no option for bail.