DESHLER (OH)
WTOL11 [Toledo, OH]
June 2, 2026
By Karmann Ludwig
Christopher Gene Walter was arrested on Tuesday and booked at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.
A Deshler, Ohio pastor was arrested Tuesday evening and charged with sexual battery of a minor, as well as grooming.
According to records at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio (CCNO), Christopher Walter, 52, was booked at the jail at 6:32 p.m. Tuesday. He faces a charge of sexual battery, with the specification that the victim was a minor and the offender is a peace officer two or more years older than the victim. The Ohio Revised Code indicates this specification also applies to an incident when the “offender is a cleric, and the other person is a member of, or attends, the church or congregation served by the cleric.” This charge is a third-degree felony.
Walter was also charged with misdemeanor grooming. Both charges were filed in Napoleon Municipal Court.
Walter is listed as the pastor for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Deshler on social media posts. The church made a Facebook celebrating Walter’s birthday in 2025, which matches Walter’s date of birth in court records. The church’s website states he is its pastor.
Additionally, Patrick Henry Local Schools confirmed Wednesday that Walter is a bus driver for the district. In a Facebook post, the district said it was aware of the arrest of a district employee and said Walter had been suspended without pay. The district said it has no further comment.
WTOL 11 has reached out to Immanuel Lutheran Church but did not immediately hear back as of this article’s publication. Deshler police, which is listed as the agency that arrested Walter, said in a press release that its officers arrested Walter “without incident” in relation to the charges. No additional information was released and police said it remains under investigation.
Walter appeared in Napoleon Municipal Court Monday morning, where his bond was set at $30,000, which was posted at 10%. He was ordered to not have any direct or indirect contact with anyone under the age of 18 years old.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional information.