Dustin Walker also received consecutive prison terms on six child neglect counts.
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Dustin Walker, 35, was sentenced Monday to life in prison in Muskogee County after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse and child neglect charges tied to an 11-year-old girl who gave birth at home.
The sentence closes a major stage in a case that began in August 2025, when the girl arrived at a local hospital after the birth. Authorities said DNA testing later showed Walker was the father of the newborn. Prosecutors said the case also exposed neglect involving six children in the home.
Walker pleaded guilty in March to one felony count of child sexual abuse of a child under 12 and six felony counts of child neglect. The court gave him 15 years on one neglect count, five years each on four other neglect counts and seven years on the final neglect count. Those sentences will run one after another before Walker begins serving the life term.
District Attorney Janet Hutson called witnesses during sentencing, including the family’s pediatrician, a Department of Human Services caseworker, the girl’s therapist and a correctional officer who completed a pre-sentence investigation. Hutson said the investigation found Walker did not fully accept responsibility. “It affected everyone in law enforcement,” Hutson said.
Authorities first charged Dustin Walker and Cherie Walker with child neglect after the girl gave birth. Investigators said the girl had not received proper medical care. After the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation received DNA results, prosecutors added the child sexual abuse charge against Dustin Walker and an enabling child sexual abuse charge against Cherie Walker.
The court’s order means Walker must serve the neglect sentences first, then the life sentence. The ruling also leaves the related case against Cherie Walker moving separately through the court system. Officials have not said in public filings cited in the case when her next major court action will be completed.
The case drew attention across eastern Oklahoma because of the age of the child, the birth at home and the condition of the household described in court. Prosecutors said the children were living in unsafe conditions. Medical testimony described severe neglect, including physical health concerns among the children.
Walker remained in custody after sentencing Monday. The next public milestone is the continued handling of related charges connected to the household and the court record created by the sentencing order.
Author note: Last updated June 30, 2026.