Church worker jailed over text messages

DURANGO, Colo. (KRQE) - A former church staffer and youth camp counselor is in criminal trouble accused of using his cell phone to send and request dirty pictures from young people.

The suspect is facing charges connected to one teenage girl so far, but he's also a suspect in another case, according to the La Plata County Sheriff's Office in southwestern Colorado.

Investigators say they are concerned there could be more victims.

Ian Robert Walker, 24, helped with weekend church services at the First United Methodist Church in Durango, Colo.  He also worked as a church camp counselor in South Fork west of Del Norte, Colo.

Walker is suspected of using text messaging to send and request inappropriate images with the alleged victim, a girl under the age of 15 from Pueblo, Colo.

Investigators say Walker met the alleged victim while working at the youth camp.

"He did have access to quite a few children," Dan Bender with the La Plata County Sheriff's Office told KRQE News 13.  "Right now there's just the one case with the one child, but we're continuing the investigation to see if there's any other victims."

Walker was arrested at Adams State College in Alamosa charged with Internet luring of a child and sexual exploitation of a child.

He has since bonded out of jail.

A United Methodist Church official told News 13 that once the allegations surfaced Walker was fired from his part-time job as weekend worship leader.

The church is cooperating with investigators.