TOOMBS COUNTY, Ga. — A former gym owner has been sentenced to decades in federal prison for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
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Walter Joey Drew, 43, of Kite, Georgia, was found guilty of exploiting minors aged 13 to 17 by secretly recording them in various states of undress at his gym and home, according to officials.
He was sentenced to 27 years in prison for sexual exploitation. A judge also ordered Drew to register as a sex offender, pay a $1,500 fine, pay $800 in special assessments, and serve 20 years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term.
The sentencing took place Sept. 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
“Drew used his behind-the-scenes access to surreptitiously capture sexually exploitive images and videos of minor children innocently using his gym and visiting his home,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap.
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According to court documents, Drew used his smartphone to record a 13-year-old girl while she was drying off nude in a bathroom at his home. Officials said he uploaded the photos to his Apple iCloud account. The victim was a friend of Drew’s teenage children.
Authorities said the 43-year-old also recorded videos of the minor in a private tanning-bed room at the now-closed Legacy Performance Center in Lyons, Ga., where he was an owner.
He saved and uploaded multiple sexually exploitive screen captures from these videos to his iCloud account.
Drew was accused of recording at least six other teenage children in the federal case and faces related state charges in Toombs County. He also faces additional charges for separate conduct at a previous home in White County.
GBI Director Chris Hosey commented on the case, stating, “This case is a disturbing reminder of the lengths predators will go to exploit children. The GBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.”
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