Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
Walter Zachary Treat, a Tulsa resident, was sentenced on Mar. 9 to 135 months in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Treat, age 31, will also serve ten years of supervised release after his imprisonment and must register as a sex offender.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address the exploitation of children online. Upon his release, Treat is prohibited from viewing sexually explicit materials and has been ordered by U.S. District Judge Terence C. Kern to pay $3,000 in restitution.
The investigation began in 2022 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip from Kik about a user sharing videos depicting child sexual abuse. Tulsa County deputies traced the activity to Treat and executed a search warrant at his home, seizing several electronic devices. During questioning, Treat admitted to receiving and distributing images and videos involving the sexual abuse of children.
A review of Treat’s devices uncovered 18 videos and more than 60 images showing prepubescent children being abused. Investigators also found messages on Facebook where Treat discussed luring children into bathrooms with the intent to assault them. The illicit material was submitted to the National Child Victim Identification System managed by NCMEC; twenty-three victims were identified and given an opportunity to submit impact statements for sentencing consideration.
Treat has been detained since November 2025 and will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The case was investigated by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated federal, state, local, and tribal resources.
