Houston-area youth pastor charged with multiple counts of child porn possession, deputies say

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office says that a Houston-area youth pastor was arrested after an extensive investigation that originated from an online tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Investigators say they found child sexual abuse material depicting children as young as 2 years old, along with a child-like sex doll.

Noel Walker, 20, has been charged with five counts of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of a child-like sex doll, according to court records.

Investigators allege Walker served as a youth pastor and worship leader at Infinity Church on Kuykendahl Road.

Investigators said Walker identified himself as a youth pastor at Infinity Church when he was arrested.

Chris Seufert, who oversees Internet Crimes Against Children efforts for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, declined to discuss Walker's pending case but said his office continues to investigate a growing number of child exploitation cases.

"Our task force is unique because we have dedicated detectives who spend all or most of their time on these child exploitation cases," Seufert said.

Seufert said the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office files about 120 cases each year involving possession of child sexual abuse material and online solicitation, up from about 80 cases in 2022. He said those investigations are labor-intensive and require significant resources.

Seufert said offenders often seek positions that provide access to children.

"Child predators are going to go where the kids are," Seufert said. "They're going to go into professions that put them in close contact with kids. That doesn't mean that most faith leaders, teachers, coaches, and scout leaders are dangerous for children. It does mean an awful lot of predators are going to gravitate toward those professions."

He said organizations that serve children should have safeguards in place, including policies that prevent a child from being alone with a single adult who is not the child's parent or guardian.

ABC13 reached out to Infinity Church for comment regarding Walker's employment status and the charges. The station also sought to confirm whether the church's lead pastor, who shares Walker's last name, is related to the defendant. The church had not responded as of publication.

Deputies say that investigators believe that electronic devices seized during this investigation contain thousands of suspected child sexual abuse material images and videos.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is urged to contact the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office, Criminal Investigations Division at (281) 364- 4211.