In a press release on Friday, the Bakersfield Police Department reports that they have arrested 20-year-old Walter Gray Jr. of Bakersfield on multiple counts involving lewd acts with a minor, and the possession and production of child sexual exploitation media.
According to BPD, the investigation that led to Gray's arrest began on September 16, 2022, as investigators followed multiple reports back to the Bakersfield resident.
Police say that on May 5 at around 11:00 am, officers from the Bakersfield Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations served a search warrant in the 300 block of Madison Street. BPD's investigation coincided with an ongoing Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce investigation into Gray. Both BPD and HSI are ICSC Taskforce member organizations.
Three local victims have been identified so far, and the investigation has indicated that there are potentially unidentified victims in the area, where law enforcement believes Gray has been active since 2022.
Gray has been booked into the Kern County Jail as police continue their investigation. Anyone who was an underage victim of sextortion involving Walter Gray Jr. is encouraged to contact Detective Chad Ott of the Bakersfield Police Department at 326-3871 or the BPD front desk at 327-7111.
