A former gym owner in Toombs County, Georgia, has been sentenced to 327 months in federal prison for producing and possessing images and videos of child sexual exploitation. Walter Joey Drew, 43, of Kite, Georgia, received the sentence on September 18, 2025. The sentencing was announced by Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randall Hall also ordered Drew to register as a sex offender, pay a $1,500 fine and $800 in special assessments, and serve 20 years of supervised release after his prison term ends.
“Drew used his behind-the-scenes access to surreptitiously capture sexually exploitive images and videos of minor children innocently using his gym and visiting his home,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners, Defendant Drew is being held responsible for his reprehensible actions.”
Court documents revealed that Drew used his smartphone to record minors between the ages of 13 and 17 at both his home and business. One incident involved recording a 13-year-old girl while she was nude in a bathroom at Drew’s residence in Toombs County. He later uploaded explicit screenshots from this video to his Apple iCloud account. The victim was identified as a friend of Drew’s teenage children.
Drew also recorded the same minor undressing in a private tanning-bed room at Legacy Performance Center in Lyons, Georgia—a business he owned before it closed—and saved multiple screen captures from these recordings to his iCloud account.
The investigation found that Drew had recorded at least six other teenagers as part of the federal case. He faces related state charges in Toombs County as well as additional charges stemming from conduct at a previous residence in White County.
“This case is a disturbing reminder of the lengths predators will go to exploit children,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the most vulnerable and to work alongside our local, state, and federal partners to ensure that those who commit these crimes are held fully accountable.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) led the investigation into Drew’s activities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. Blanchard prosecuted the case for the Southern District of Georgia.
Individuals with information about suspected child sexual exploitation are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or report online through https://report.cybertip.org/.