LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO EIGHT COUNTS OF SEX CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Perry Crane Walker, II, 44, of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty in federal court to six counts of sexual exploitation to children, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of transfer of obscene material to minors. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Our excellent state and federal law enforcement partners are relentlessly pursuing every sick predator like this defendant who seeks to victimize and sexually exploit our kids online, and when they catch them my office stands ready to aggressively prosecute and seek maximum punishments for their heinous crimes. It remains a top priority of my office to ensure our kids are safe in our communities and online."

Court documents reflect that between December 26, 2024, and October 10, 2025, Walker used social media applications to meet and communicate with children between 13-15 years of age. The investigation revealed that during his online communications, the defendant enticed and induced the minors to produce and send him images and videos constituting child pornography. Court records also revealed that, as a result of the defendant's illicit communications with the children, one of the social media platforms submitted a CyberTip report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which notified the Leon County Sheriff's Office. An investigation revealed that some of the children resided in Europe. Pursuant to search warrants, the defendant's business and residence were searched and his electronic devices were seized as evidence. A search of the defendant's devices confirmed that he had been sexually exploiting the children using social media, and that he received and possessed multiple child pornography images and videos.

Walker faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a maximum of 30 years' imprisonment, on each of the sexual exploitation of children counts; a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years' imprisonment and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, on the receipt of child pornography count; and a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment on the transfer of obscene materials to minors count.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 11, 2026, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visithttps://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.