By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard

Recently filed affidavits have revealed that family members apparently were aware of now-convicted pedophile Barry Walker’s activities with underage girls for some time before his arrest in June 2022.

Walker, a former doctor and Glenwood businessman, was sentenced to 39 life sentences for sexually molesting and raping 31 girls in Clark and Pike Counties over a 25-year time period. His niece, Brandy Cox, and his brother, Barry Walker, both of Glenwood, are now charged with not reporting his crimes.

In the affidavit filed against Walker’s brother, the suspect disclosed to officials that he had been told by Cox in early May that Barry Walker had been sexually assaulting underage relatives and that he and his siblings had discussed the allegations, but none of them ever reported the crimes.

Based on the fact that Bryce Walker is an employee of the Hot Springs School District as IT Director, he is mandated by law to report allegations of child maltreatment. He was charged with Failure to Notify by a Mandated Reporter, a Class A Misdemeanor.

Cox is charged with a Class B Felony after admitting during an interview in July that two underage girls told her in April 2022 Walker was molesting them. She stated that she told her father and she and several other family members discussed it, but no one reported it. Cox also admitted that she had been told about Walker’s crimes six years ago by one of her relatives who was a victim. However, she stated that she did not report the allegations and still allowed the victims to spend the night with Barry Walker following both disclosures.

Following the revelations by the victims, Cox said she and Walker discussed the accusations and stated that Walker told her not to go to the police or he would have her arrested. She said he also offered her a house, $10,000 and other considerations not to report the crimes.

Even after the recent allegations, Cox admitted she allowed the victims to continue spending the night with Walker, stating that he had told her that “he had to be around the kids or people would think something is up.”

Cox also told police when she confronted Walker with the allegations that she was placed on the payroll of one of his businesses.