Queens basketball coach admits to having teen boys strip naked, send photos to him

ByMike Waterhouse WABC logo
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
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QUEENS, N.Y. (WABC) -- A Queens man who claimed to be a basketball coach has pleaded guilty to having teen boys send nude photos to him.

The Queens district attorney said 43-year-old Robert Walker, of Jamaica, entered a guilty plea Wednesday to disseminating indecent material to minors.

Court documents said Walker was chatting online with a 15-year-old boy, instructing him to strip naked and pose during a video feed and also send nude photos. The incident happened in April 2014.

Police searched Walker's computer and found 27 images of children between the ages of 8 and 13 performing sex acts with adult men.

The court filing said that Walker also made statements after his arrest that he conducted workouts with teens under the age of 16, and during those sessions he'd have the teens remove their clothes and then take photos and videos of them.

Also after his arrest, police found three more victims in the case. The 14- and 15-year-olds played basketball on the team and were also instructed to strip naked on video chats. One of the incidents occurred in-person.

"The defendant has now admitted to taking advantage of his position as a non-affiliated basketball coach to instruct teenage boys to undress and send nude photographs of themselves to him for his sexual gratification," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. "The victims will undoubtedly be scarred for life as a result of this man's manipulative actions."

The judge is expected to sentence Walker to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in prison during his hearing on Sept. 10. Walker will also be required to register as a sex offender.