United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Walter Tharrington, referred to as "Black" and "Roaadblock," a 32-year-old from Philadelphia, was found guilty of sex trafficking and child pornography offenses this week. Following an indictment in August 2024, Tharrington was convicted on April 9 for sex trafficking a minor, advertising child pornography, and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2023, Tharrington asked a 14-year-old minor, known as Minor 1, to help him earn money by engaging in commercial sex. Tharrington arranged for the encounters and advertised them online using his phone to post explicit content related to Minor 1. He set the prices for the encounters and instructed the minor on the acts to perform in exchange for money.
Evidence from the trial showed Minor 1 was living at Tharrington’s residence during the summer of 2023, while Tharrington kept the profits from these encounters. Tharrington also physically assaulted Minor 1 multiple times. Another minor witnessed the incidents and corroborated the account, also confirming that Tharrington tried to recruit her.
Tharrington is set to be sentenced at a later date and could face a life sentence.
“Walter Tharrington made money by sexually exploiting a child, advertising her for sex with strangers,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Putting anyone through that, let alone a vulnerable minor, is unconscionable. Know that my office and the FBI are working every day to put traffickers like this defendant behind bars and ensure some justice for their victims.”
“Sex trafficking — especially when it involves a child — is among the most heinous crimes the FBI investigates,” stated Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office. “This conviction is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and holding predators accountable.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006, targeting child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. This initiative involves collaboration between United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, as well as federal, state, and local resources. The FBI’s Philadelphia Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Amanda McCool are prosecuting the case.