Peace Corps Office of Inspector General announces criminal case against former trainee
Good question. I don't know, Marian, except there may have been a delay in discovering the video and then an…
The Peace Corps Office of Inspector General announced that yesterday, September 19, 2018, a former Peace Corps trainee was charged with three counts of video voyeurism stemming from conduct he engaged in while a trainee in Zambia.
Matthew Walker, 30, was charged by an information in the Northern District of Florida at the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida.
As alleged in the information, Walker was a Peace Corps trainee in Zambia in 2016. On three occasions Walker is alleged to have used his GoPro camera 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. The name of the victim is being withheld from the public to protect the victim’s privacy.
Inspector General Kathy A. Buller said of the matter, “Our Volunteers are some of the best and brightest that America has to offer, and our programs depend on their safety and well-being. My office is committed to ensuring that allegations of serious misconduct by or against our Volunteers, like video voyeurism, are thoroughly investigated.”
The charges in the information are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The trial is scheduled for 9:00 am on October 24, 2018 at the U.S. District Court in Panama City, Florida.
The case is being investigated by the Peace Corps, Office of Inspector General. The case is being 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 (OIG) 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.
I think this is a very good development. It is actually what should happen.
Why did it take so long?
Good question. I don’t know, Marian, except there may have been a delay in discovering the video and then an investigation. I would make a FOIA request as the OIG does have a FOIA procedure. But, my guess would be that they cannot comment on an ongoing investigation or trial.