Accused sex trafficker eludes authorities after a mistake set him free

Aug. 26—It was a proud moment for the Bakersfield Police Department to announce it participated in a statewide operation netting nearly 400 sex trafficking suspects and locally arresting 10 people on suspicion of such crimes.

But pride has turned to alarm because a man apprehended by the BPD and the Kern County Human Trafficking Task Force during the operation was released from jail after an error by Kern County Superior Court.

Christopher Walker, who was accused of beating a victim to coerce her into prostitution, could be trafficking once again, a search warrant filed by the BPD in court said. The victim helped to arrest Walker, according to the search warrant, and was a "viable part of the investigation."

"Currently there is a fear Christopher Walker has located (the victim) and has begun to force her to continue to be a sex worker again," a police officer wrote in the court document. "It is my experience in human trafficking investigations (that) the exploiter will try to connect with the victim and in this situation, it is probable Christopher Walker has located (the victim) and is forcing her to be a sex worker."

Superior Court Managing Attorney Carla Ortega wrote in an email such mistakes have been made in the past, and the court is updating its processes to prevent future errors.

"The possibility of human error cannot be eliminated, but the court continuously reviews and updates its systems, processes and training to avoid these circumstances," Ortega wrote.

Walker's release stems from a mistake by the court when noting his bail between two separate cases he initially faced.

Prosecutors first charged Walker with human trafficking, pandering, pimping and violating a court order to prevent domestic violence in January and he was held on $25,000 bail.

A second case brought another set of human trafficking, pandering and pimping charges against Walker in which prosecutors sought no bail.

When prosecutors sought to combine every charge against Walker into one case, the order denying Walker bail was not carried forward into the consolidated case, Ortega wrote. A charge of violating a court order to prevent domestic violence isn't listed in Walker's new case containing a total of six charges, according to online court records.

A hearing to consolidate the six charges into one case was held on July 6.

The Kern County Sheriff's Office, overseeing local jails and inmate releases, wrote in an email Walker was released July 6 by an "order of the court."

KCSO spokeswoman Lori Meza declined to delve into what the order said because the Sheriff's Office couldn't relay specific information. Meza referred The Californian to Superior Court for any other questions.

Daniela Gonzaga, spokeswoman for the Kern County District Attorney's Office, wrote it wasn't clear how this mistake happened, and referred The Californian to Superior Court or the KCSO because the situation is out of their control.

The error was discovered July 7, Ortega wrote. She added the court had reviewed the relevant transcripts and entries about the case, and is updating its step-by-step process for case consolidation to minimize or eliminate such an error in the future.

Walker was scheduled for trial July 10 but didn't appear in court. A judge issued a bench warrant for Walker.

The BPD told The Californian it is still looking for Walker and declined to release more information. Walker wasn't listed as being in custody as of early Saturday morning.

Police fear Walker may be abusing the same woman who played an essential role in his arrest because she called Walker while he was in jail, the search warrant said. Police sought phone records of the woman's phone, because it may help to find both her and the defendant, the search warrant added.

"This situation places (the victim) into a (dangerous) position," the search warrant stated.

The Californian is withholding the woman's name because it generally does not name victims of sexual assault.

A BPD officer requested the woman's T-Mobile phone records starting from June 30 until when the search warrant was filed. Records were taken by an officer on Aug. 1, the warrant said.

The investigation into Walker started when undercover BPD officers began arranging meetings with sex workers through a website, according to BPD offense reports filed in court.

A woman, whose name is redacted in the BPD reports, agreed to meet an officer at a hotel for sex acts in exchange for money, the reports said. Police learned after encountering the victim that she had been previously exploited by Walker, who was arrested in a prior incident and released on bail, the reports added.

It appeared the forced prostitution continued after Walker was released while the charges brought against him were still pending, the offense reports said.

A victim told police in the reports Walker hit her so hard it caused her face to swell. She had to wear makeup to hide her injuries, and Walker forced her back into sex work once he was released on bail after yelling she was a snitch, the reports stated.

A woman said she kept working for Walker because she's scared he may assault her again, say the reports, which added Walker physically abused a victim about two times per month when she didn't want to engage in sex work. All the money made by this woman went to Walker, the reports stated.

In another instance, a woman believed Walker broke her rib, the reports added.

It is unclear from the reports if all these incidents happened to the same woman, as the name or names are redacted.

Walker then came to pick up the victim, who met police at a hotel, and he was arrested when he arrived, the reports said.

During an interview, Walker said he was giving the victim a ride only to her "date" and would get paid for doing so, the reports say.

But an investigator noted the woman was wearing a pink G-string bikini in January in 40-degree weather. He asked Walker if it was normal to wear such clothing in cold conditions and why the victim was always working as a prostitute when she was with him, according to offense reports.

Walker maintained he was only driving the victim to the prostitution appointment.

Ishani Desai can be reached at 661-395-7417. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @_ishanidesai.