Boca Raton Man Arrested on Lewd Battery, Child Pornography Charges

Luke Walters (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

A 21-year-old Boca Raton man was arrested last week on dozens of charges alleging he engaged in sexual activity with a minor he met on social media and recorded and distributed sexually explicit images of the juvenile, according to police records.

Luke Walters, 21, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on Sept. 18 and faces 26 total counts: two counts of lewd or lascivious battery involving a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, 12 counts of possessing 10 or more images of child pornography, and 12 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child, jail records show. He was released the following day after posting a total of $82,000 in bond – $5,000 on each of the battery charges and $3,000 on each of the remaining 24 counts.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Boca Raton police, the case began in June after a relative of the alleged victim reported concerns to police about the teen’s messages with an adult man on Snapchat. Investigators say the man, later identified as Walters, used the username “brz.luke” and had represented his age as 18.

The affidavit alleges the teen and Walters met in person on two occasions in late May, including once when the teen got into Walters’ vehicle, consumed alcohol and engaged in sexual contact with him, and a second time to discuss the earlier encounter. Detectives said they used cellphone tower data to place Walters’ phone in the area during the timeframe described by the alleged victim, and the teen identified Walters in a photo lineup “with no hesitation,” according to the affidavit.

Investigators further allege that a review of Snapchat videos recovered from both Walters’ and the alleged victim’s accounts, conducted under a search warrant, showed the teen was filmed while intoxicated and that the recordings met the legal definition of child sexual abuse material.

Based on the findings, investigators determined there was probable cause to arrest Walters and to search his cellphone for related evidence, including text messages, call logs and stored communications, the affidavit states.

The name of the alleged victim has been withheld in accordance with state law protecting the identities of minors and victims of sexual offenses.