Weakley County Man Receives 30 Days in Jail, Two Years Probation for Aggravated Statutory Rape of Minor

A Weakley County man, 24-year-old William Hunter Walton, was charged by DA Colin Johnson for sexual penetration of a juvenile victim when the victim was at least thirteen years but less than 15 and Walton was at least four years older than the minor on June 7, 2024.

Johnson charged Walton with Statutory Rape, a Class E Felony that carries 1-6 years in prison and fines of up to $3,000, but the Weakley County Court Dockets show that Walton was originally charged with Aggravated Statutory Rape, a Class D Felony which carries prison time of 2-12 years and fines of up to $5,000. The Aggravated Statutory Rape charge was bound over a later reduced to statutory rape which Walton pled guilty to.

Walton was represented by Charles Kelly Sr. and was held on a $25,000 Surety bond.

Walton waived his indictment on September 10, 2024. In federal felony cases, the defendant may choose to waive or “give up” his Fifth Amendment right to indictment by a grand jury and be charged by criminal information instead.

Walton went before Circuit Court Judge Jeff Parham on Tuesday, November 12 and received a judicial diversion, receiving two years’ supervised probation after serving 30 days in jail. Walton also has to do 100 hours of community service and will be placed on the sex offender registry for 10 years.

A judicial diversion allows a charge or charges to be diverted for an agreed-upon amount of time. The Defendant pleads guilty and agrees to conditions set by the judge with successful completion of the diversionary period can lead to expungement of the charge or charges and eligibility criteria include no prior jail/prison time for a felony or A misdemeanor, no previous participation in diversion programs, and not being charged with most violent crimes or DUI. A diversion requires an application for a certificate of eligibility from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations is required.

Editor’s note: Cases like this depend on many factors including evidence collected and testimony given. TN law states that during criminal prosecutions, all witnesses have a right to face their accuser and this includes children that may be involved in cases like this. Please keep in mind that in cases where a child has to testify, they may not want to face their perpetrator. This happens quite often in many cases similar to this.