CLEVELAND — The Rocky River man accused of raping a 2-year-old girl at a Parma Heights day care facility is now facing federal charges.
3News Investigates obtained a signed criminal complaint detailing an FBI agent's case against Conner Walker, 20. Our team later confirmed Walker made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on Wednesday and is now in federal custody.
Walker was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The complaint, written by Special Agent Jessica L. Dunkle, outlines in graphic detail the crimes the FBI says Walker admitted to during questioning, and also describes how authorities tracked Walker down and eventually arrested him.
WARNING: This story contains disturbing details regarding child sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
According to court documents, the FBI last week received a tip from a "reliable foreign partner" about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) featuring a minor victim whose image matched that of a Cleveland-based child's whose image appeared on her family's Facebook page.
On Jan. 5, FBI agents spoke with the child's mother, who made a positive identification of her 3-year-old daughter when shown photographs (the girl was 2 at the time of the alleged crime). The victim's parent also identified the hand in the photograph "as being of a lighter complexion" and provided law enforcement with the identities of white men who potentially had access to the minor victim, in particular at the home day care where she was enrolled.
On that same day, agents also went to the home day care owned by Tonya Ball on Big Creek Parkway in Parma Heights. Ball told investigators that two adult men were at the home, one of whom was Walker, who is a friend of her son and routinely slept over at the home. Walker agreed to speak with agents.
Walker told investigators that one evening in the late fall of 2023 (court records say Sept. 28), he was getting out of the shower when the child, who was staying overnight at the day care, entered the bathroom. Dunkle's report says Walker instructed the victim to open her mouth as he sexually assaulted her, recording approximately two minutes of the abuse.
After the incident, the FBI says Walker distributed the video to a group chat on an encrypted iPhone app called "Session." The Australia-based app is described as "a private messenger offering privacy, anonymity, and security."
Walker gave agents permission to search his phone, which contained two videos of the victim plus three or four additional photos (possible stills from the videos) showing her being sexually abused. The FBI says Walker's phone also had "numerous additional files" containing child sexual abuse material, including in the password protected "hidden" folder in his photos app.
In the Session app on Walker's phone, the bulk of the conversations revolved around trading and production of child sexual abuse material, with dozens of additional images found within the group chats.
Walker was arrested on Jan. 5 by the Parma Heights Police Department and charged with one count of rape as well as three counts of gross sexual imposition.
Meanwhile, 3News Investigates confirmed Wednesday that Ball's day care license was suspended by the state of Ohio.
The Ohio Department Job and Family Services tells us they froze Ball's care license following a recommendation from the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services. Officials say the effect of the suspension is immediate and that Ball has been notified of the decision.
Ball has not been charged with a crime and is not believed to have been aware of the reported sexual assault at the house. However, 3News Investigates uncovered multiple issues with her record as a care provider, including at least nine violations as well as a discrepancy with the address of the facility she operates.
According to an ODJFS inspection report, Ball was cited in 2023 for failing to provide verification of the completion of first aid and CPR training, not completing child abuse training, and not providing background checks for her, her husband, her son, and a resident. In addition, WKYC also discovered the address associated with her license was actually on East Clearview Avenue in Seven Hills, rather than Parma Heights.
When initially reached for comment, a spokesperson for ODJFS told 3News Investigates, "[The operator has] submitted for a change of location to 6565 Big Creek Parkway, but that change has not yet been approved." The email went on to say, "According to child care licensing laws, a provider must operate from the location where they are currently licensed."
Previous Reporting:
- Operator of Parma Heights day care where 2-year-old was allegedly raped has her license suspended
- 3News Investigates: Operator of day care where toddler was allegedly raped previously cited by state
- Parma Heights police provide details of alleged rape of 2-year-old by Rocky River man at in-home day care center