Fourteen adults have filed a federal lawsuit in Austin accusing a former Round Rock pastor of stockpiling images and videos that depict their childhood sexual abuse and asking a judge to award $150,000 to each plaintiff. The complaint names David Lloyd Walther, who pleaded guilty in 2023 and was later sentenced in federal court, and says the seized material was found among more than 100,000 files investigators recovered. The plaintiffs are using pseudonyms and describe the harm as a form of "personal injury."
As reported by KEYE, the complaint alleges Walther downloaded and possessed child sexual-abuse material using an IP address tied to Faith Baptist Church of Round Rock. The plaintiffs say the material seized from their possession depicts their abuse and that they are now adults bringing civil claims in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin. The filing asks the court for liquidated damages of $150,000 per plaintiff.
Criminal case background
Walther pleaded guilty in June 2023 to an enhanced federal charge of possessing child pornography, and in September 2023, a judge sentenced him to 70 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said investigators seized two large hard drives in a November 2022 search that contained more than 100,000 images and more than 5,000 videos of child sexual-abuse material, per the Department of Justice. "Many families in the Round Rock area placed their trust in this man when he served as a leader in faith for their community," U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza said in a Justice Department statement.
What the plaintiffs allege
The 14 plaintiffs, who are identified by pseudonyms in the complaint, say material seized from Walther's devices depicts abuse they suffered as children and lists "personal injury" as the harm caused, according to KEYE. The filing says Walther admitted during his interview with investigators that he searched for and downloaded child sexual-abuse material using BitTorrent. The complaint seeks a total of $2.1 million in liquidated damages, along with whatever other relief the court orders.
How the case moves forward
The civil complaint is now pending in the Austin division of the Western District of Texas, where it will move through standard federal procedures such as service, motions, and potential discovery; court information for the Austin division is available from the Western District of Texas. Initial coverage did not name lawyers for all parties. Because the plaintiffs are using pseudonyms, some identifying information has been withheld in the public filing.
Where this happened
Faith Baptist Church of Round Rock lists its location and service times on its website at the congregation's Gattis School Road address. The church's online listing shows the congregation at 3625 Gattis School Road in Round Rock, Texas.
