Walter Chahwanda convicted of 17 sexual offences against children and young women
LIVERPOOL – A Zimbabwean gospel singer, model, and pastor based in the UK, Walter Chahwanda (34), has been convicted of seventeen offences, including sexual crimes against young girls and women.
Chahwanda, residing at Plemonstall Court in Chester, leveraged his position of authority as a pastor first within the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) and later at his own Liverpool-based church (Sound of Dominion) to target victims.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) “over a period of around four years, he targeted children and young women across the country that he had met through the Apostolic Faith Mission church, sending them intimate sexual pictures and videos of himself.”
His approach was consistent in most cases. He would encounter children or young women through church-related events nationwide and subsequently add them to his Snapchat or Instagram accounts, initially maintaining online conversations with them.
However, he would gradually begin to sexualize the discussions, commenting on the girls’ appearances and expressing his attraction to them.
Eventually, he would abruptly send them intimate images and videos of himself, frequently engaging in sexual acts.
A disturbing aspect of his behavior was that he would provoke his victims to disclose what he was doing and to inform others in order to ‘expose him.’
The fear of being discovered seemed to be intertwined with his sexual fantasies.
Chahwanda held a position of authority and trust within the churches and was held in high regard by many. The images and videos left the victims shocked and bewildered, as they had once respected Chahwanda.
Several women did confide in others about the images, and the Church was also notified, yet he refused to cease his actions.
His misconduct intensified over time.
The father of one victim reported the incidents to the NSPCC. Additionally, several other victims approached the police and support organizations.
Chahwanda was first arrested in February 2024 and was re-interviewed in April 2025 after police conducted further inquiries into additional potential victims.
During questioning, he denied all allegations, although he acknowledged having sexualized conversations on one of his social media platforms. He trivialized this behavior as ‘naughty’ and claimed he was merely engaging in role play during the chats.
The Crown Prosecution Service initially authorized Merseyside Police to charge him with 22 counts concerning nine victims.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges, but on 3 February 2026, he was found guilty on 17 counts by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.
He was acquitted of one count of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of sending a photograph or film of his genitals. The CPS did not present evidence on two counts of blackmail and they were not put to the jury.
He will be sentenced on 20 March 2026.
Aaron Smith, a lawyer specifically trained with the CPS Mersey Cheshire Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, stated:
“Walter Chahwanda exploited his status as a respected Pastor to exploit a 14-year-old child and inflict distress upon numerous young women and children. He showed no concern for their wellbeing or vulnerability, focusing solely on his own sexual gratification.
“He claimed that he was risking everything through his actions, yet it was the women and girls who felt trapped and repulsed by his behavior.
“They struggled to understand how a man in Chahwanda’s position could behave in such a way and, in some cases, felt unable to discuss sexual matters openly with others.
“Fortunately, the victims were eventually heard, leading to Chahwanda’s arrest. He persistently denied that his actions were criminal, asserting that the victims had consented. He dismissed his offenses as harmless.
“His victims articulated in statements and evidence the genuine impact of his actions, resulting in the jury finding him guilty.
“The Crown Prosecution Service wishes to express gratitude to the victims and witnesses involved in this case for their bravery and support throughout the prosecution. Without their testimonies, Walter Chahwanda would not have faced justice.”
Walter Chahwanda (D.O.B. 29/7/1991) was charged with:
1 x Rape
1 x Assault by Penetration
5 x Sexual Activity with a Child
6 x Sending an indecent electronic image
3 x Causing a Child to watch a sexual act
3 x Sexual Communication with a child
2 x Blackmail
1 x Sending a picture of genitals
