Montana Man Gets 10 Years for Sexually Exploiting a Student Overseas

A 61-year-old man from Roundup, Montana, who traveled to Thailand to work as a teacher and used that position to manipulate a teenage student into producing sexual images, has been handed a 10-year federal prison sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot announced the sentence, which also carries five years of supervised release once Walker is out of prison.

He Admitted Guilt Before the Case Went to Trial

Billie Lee Walker pleaded guilty in October 2025 to a federal charge of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct in a foreign country.

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A Father’s Report to Police Set the Investigation in Motion

The case began to unravel in May 2024 when the father of a 15-year-old boy went to law enforcement with concerns about Walker, who had been working as a teacher at a school in Thailand where the boy was enrolled. The father told investigators that Walker had been communicating with his son in ways no teacher should communicate with a student.

Investigators Found Child Sexual Abuse Images and a Trail of Online Payments

Walker, an American citizen, had been the boy’s teacher since around August 2021 and was let go from the school just as the investigation was getting underway in May 2024. When investigators examined the boy’s devices, they recovered child sexual abuse images, including images of the boy himself, along with a record of online conversations between him and Walker. During a forensic interview, the boy confirmed what was found on his devices and described how Walker paid him small amounts of money in exchange for explicit content, including roughly $30 for one particular video.

Walker Made Admissions to Investigators at the Border

When Walker returned to the United States around May 28, 2024, federal agents were waiting. During that interview, Walker acknowledged he had been in online contact with the boy and claimed he had seen only a small number of nude images. He also confirmed that he had paid the boy for images on at least one occasion, and he admitted to creating fake online identities to carry out those communications.

Multiple Federal and Local Agencies Worked Together to Build the Case

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus handled the prosecution. The FBI led the investigation with support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office.

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The Prosecution Was Part of a Broader National Effort to Protect Children

This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide. The program coordinates federal, state, and local law enforcement to find and prosecute those who prey on children and to locate and support victims. More information is available at Justice.gov/PSC.