A Virginia man is in jail in Utah after engaging in a sexually predatory game of “truth or dare” with a group of preteen boys, according to Beehive State authorities.
Robert Paul Walker, 42, is charged with one count of failure to register as a sex offender, one count of tampering with a witness, and five counts of lewdness involving a child, according to the Saratoga Springs Police Department.
Police say the father of some of the alleged victims was aware of the defendant’s troubled past, which included similar crimes.
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The defendant was arrested this week, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX.
Police allege that several victims aged 10 to 12 were present at a party hosted by Walker. Witnesses told police that during the party, the defendant encouraged the boys to play truth or dare, with the dares allegedly escalating into inappropriate territory.
Walker also had the victims participate in another game with him called the “touch your body challenge,” according to police. This game allegedly included the removal of clothing and sexual acts.
According to a Utah Department of Public Safety registry, the defendant is a registered sex offender as a result of a sexual battery conviction in the Old Dominion in 2005.
The probable cause affidavit mentions Walker’s status and claims the father of two boys was well aware of the defendant’s history.
According to the affidavit, the father told police that he had known Walker for about nine years. During that time, the defendant disclosed his criminal history as a sex offender, according to his father.
The father also told investigators that he believed Walker had an addiction to watching child sexual abuse videos.
The father went on to say the defendant had been living with his family on and off since April, and that Walker would occasionally pull his children out of school, according to police.
According to authorities, Walker recently admitted to the father that he was grooming the two children. The father allegedly told investigators that he regretted trusting the defendant and allowing the registered sex offender to be near his children.
According to court documents cited by Salt Lake City-based CBS affiliate KUTV, Walker allegedly threatened some of the victims that if they told anyone what had happened, he would be arrested.
The charges for lewdness are class A misdemeanors, while the registration violation and witness tampering are third-degree felonies. If Walker is convicted as charged, he could face a sentence of just under 15 years.
The defendant is currently detained in the Utah County Jail without bail.
Authorities requested no bail because they believe Walker poses a flight risk.
