An Oklahoma mother has been sentenced to life in prison for forcing her 11-year-old daughter to give birth to her husband's child in a horrific child abuse case. Cherie Walker, 34, was found guilty on July 17 of seven counts of child neglect and enabling child sexual abuse. The jury recommended a life sentence for each count.
Investigation and Discovery
The case came to light in 2025 after authorities discovered that the Walker's 11-year-old child had given birth to an infant without any medical attention or prenatal care. The infant was found inside the couple's Muskogee County home, which was infested with faeces. DNA testing confirmed with 99% certainty that Dustin Walker, 35, the stepfather, was the father.
The child had not seen a doctor in over a year. Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson said: "I was horror-stricken to find out it's an 11-year-old little girl who's given birth. And that she had no medical care, and she had no one to be with her."
Living Conditions
The 11-year-old was living in deplorable conditions alongside five other children aged two, four, six, seven, and nine. Court documents obtained by NBC News stated the victims were found naked in a home filled with dog faeces, with no air conditioning or running water.
Hutson added that the child was traumatised and had been kept out of traditional school, meaning others were unaware of the pregnancy.
Sentencing and Additional Charges
Dustin Walker was also given a life sentence for the abuse. At his sentencing, the District Attorney said: "It's very emotional to realise that a child at the age of 10 and 11 was having sex with their stepfather, that she became pregnant and no one took her to the doctor and she gave birth at home."
The victim's grandmother, Michelle Justus, has also been charged with child neglect and is set to go on trial later this month. She claims she was unaware the child was pregnant.
