Dustin Joel Walker pleaded guilty to six counts of child neglect and one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12 after his 11-year-old stepdaughter gave birth at home without medical care. The 35-year-old entered a blind plea, leaving his sentence to the judge's discretion, with potential penalties up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 18 in Muskogee County.
Dustin Joel Walker, 35, faces decades behind bars after admitting to the crimes in an Oklahoma court on Friday. Court records confirm DNA evidence shows a 99% certainty that he fathered the infant born to his stepdaughter. The charges require him to serve at least 85% of any prison term before parole eligibility. Authorities say the girl received no prenatal care and had not seen a doctor in over a year before the birth last year. She had also been removed from school, possibly homeschooled, limiting detection of the abuse. Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson expressed hope for a lengthy sentence, noting the maximum is life, or 45 years in Oklahoma, with over 38 years to serve before parole. Hutson described the petite child as traumatized from the ordeal, including the home birth of a full-term baby. She urged the public to report suspected abuse through law enforcement or child welfare agencies. Defense attorney Ben Hilfiger called the blind plea unusual but necessary, given the wide-ranging potential punishments. Walker's wife, Cherie Walker, the child's biological mother, and her mother, Michelle Justus, face related charges and have denied knowledge of the pregnancy. Justus previously claimed a 12-year-old neighbor boy was responsible.