DESHLER, Ohio — The lead pastor of a Deshler church who also drove a school bus for Patrick Henry Local Schools has been charged with sexual battery and grooming of a child, according to records in Napoleon Municipal Court.
Christopher G. Walter, 52, of Deshler, was booked into the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio on June 2 and arraigned by video on June 3, court records show.
Walter faces one count of sexual battery involving a minor, a third-degree felony, and one count of grooming, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to the Deshler Police Department booking record and Napoleon Municipal Court filings. Grooming — defined as a pattern of conduct intended to entice or prepare a minor for sexual activity — became a criminal offense in Ohio in April 2025.
At the June 3 arraignment, Walter waived a preliminary hearing and both cases were bound over to Henry County Common Pleas Court for further proceedings, according to the dockets. The court set bond at $30,000 with 10% allowed and ordered Walter to wear GPS monitoring, comply with a criminal protection order, check in with probation, and have no direct or indirect contact with anyone under 18. Records show bond was posted.
Walter is listed as lead pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Deshler on the church’s website. The Northwestern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America said it terminated Walter’s authorization to serve at the church after learning of the arrest. In a June 4 statement, Bishop Daniel Beaudoin said the synod learned of the charges on June 3 and that Walter’s invitation to extended service through the United Methodist Church was ended the same day. Beaudoin called the allegations “very distressing and serious,” according to the statement.
Patrick Henry Local Schools confirmed that Walter is employed as a district bus driver and has been suspended without pay. In a statement, the district said it is aware of the arrest and charges and would not comment further because the matter involves personnel and legal issues.
Deshler police said officers arrested Walter without incident and that the investigation is ongoing. No additional details about the allegations have been released.
