Former Peace Corps trainee sentenced in case of video voyeurism

Thanks for the ‘heads up’ from James Sheahan (Sierra Leone 1961-63)

Peace Corps Press Release

Former Peace Corps trainee sentenced in case of video voyeurism
01/29/2019

WASHINGTON – On January 24, 2019, former Peace Corps trainee Matthew Walker, 31, was sentenced by a federal magistrate judge to 3 years of probation and 30 days of intermittent confinement for committing acts of video voyeurism. He was sentenced at the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Florida in Pensacola, Florida.

On November 13, 2018, Walker pled guilty to three counts of video voyeurism stemming from conduct he engaged in while a Peace Corps trainee in Zambia in 2016. Walker admitted to using his GoPro camera on three occasions to record a fellow trainee, without consent, while the fellow trainee was naked and changing in areas where the fellow trainee had a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Inspector General Kathy A. Buller said of the matter, “My office is committed to helping promote the safety and wellbeing of Volunteers, and in trying to deter similar behavior in the future. Video voyeurism is not just unacceptable behavior, it’s a crime that is a serious violation of privacy and trust, and the consequences for victims can be significant to their emotional wellbeing. I hope that our investigative work, and our partnership with the Department of Justice, help ensure those who commit serious misconduct against our Volunteers are held accountable.”

This case was investigated by the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (OIG) and was jointly prosecuted by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Clayton O’Connor of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Smith of the Northern District of Florida.

The Peace Corps Office of Inspector General is an independent entity within the Peace Corps. Through audits, evaluations, and investigations, OIG provides oversight of agency programs and operations. OIG combats fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the programs and operations of the Peace Corps to help the Peace Corps achieve its goals with integrity and efficiency.