An Ohio pastor who drove schoolchildren to class every day has been charged with sexually battering a minor and grooming, with prosecutors invoking a specific statutory subsection that applies because of his role as a member of the clergy.
Christopher Walter, 52, of Deshler, Ohio, was taken into custody on 2 June 2026 and transported to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO), according to a press release issued by Deshler Police Chief Rebecca Cassaubon. Walter served simultaneously as lead pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Deshler and as a bus driver for Patrick Henry Local Schools, giving him regular, trusted access to children in two distinct institutional settings.
