After School Worker Released On $30K Bond Amid Riverside County Sheriff's Investigation

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A 27-year-old nonprofit employee involved in a Riverside County after-school program, is suspected of sending explicit material to students, was out of custody Thursday on a $30,000 bond.

Walter Henry Harrison of Moreno Valley was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on Wednesday on suspicion of sending harmful matter to minors. Harrison was able to procure bail on Thursday morning and was released from the Riverside jail. He will return to the Riverside Hall of Justice in February to answer to the felony charges.

Meanwhile, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office - Special Victims Unit believes there may be additional victims.

Harrison was a paid participant in after-school programs organized by the youth education support nonprofit Think Together at Sunnymeadows Elementary School, located in the 23200 block of Eucalyptus Avenue.

Patch reached out to Think Together for a statement regarding Harrison's employment.

"Think Together was made aware of the allegations that took place at Sunnymead Middle School and is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation," Elena Bosch, Director of Communications, told Patch. They did not verify the length of his employment with the organization or any further details. "Because this is an active investigation, we don’t have additional details to share at this time."

The Moreno Valley Unified School District verified Thursday that he was not an MVUSD employee.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Harrison came under investigation at the end of last month after a campus resource officer -- a deputy assigned to security -- was informed the suspect had allegedly engaged in "inappropriate contact with students."

Sgt. Jim Peters said the case was turned over to the agency's Special Victims Unit, whose investigators determined Harrison allegedly communicated with "at least four students who ... attend the after-school program."

Sufficient evidence was gathered to obtain and serve a search warrant at the suspect's residence in the 14600 block of Cessna Lane on Oct. 30, according to Peters.

"Evidence was collected from the home. However, Harrison was not at the residence," the sergeant said.

Deputies located Harrison on Wednesday in the area of Magnolia Avenue and Hughes Alley in Riverside, where he was taken into custody without incident.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office - Special Victims Unit believes there may be additional victims and encourages anyone with more information regarding this investigation to contact Investigator Myling Sam at (951) 955–1700 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at (951) 776–1099.