A former teacher at Bullard High School has been charged with federal child exploitation offenses.
Ray Waller, 37, was charged by a federal grand jury with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child sexual abuse images and sending obscene material to a minor.
The backstory: Waller was arrested on Feb. 20 by Fresno police in a case that involved a juvenile victim who was a student at Bullard.
- Bullard Principal Armen Torigian told parents at the time that Waller was placed on leave and that Fresno Unified School District would fully cooperate with law enforcement.
The big picture: According to the charges, Waller communicated with a minor by sending text and voice messages designed to have the minor create and transmit images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
- The messages occurred between November 2024 and February 2025.
- Waller also sent obscene images of himself to the victim and convinced the victim to reciprocate.
- Waller is currently detained while awaiting his trial.
What we’re watching: Waller will appear in federal court on June 30 for a detention hearing to determine his federal custody status.
- If he is convicted of the sexual exploitation of a minor offense, Waller faces between 15 to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
- A conviction for the receipt of child sexual abuse images would brin ga 5 to 20 year prison term and another fine of up to $250,000.
- The transmitting obscene material to a minor offense carries a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Go deeper: Along with the federal charges, Waller also faces charges in the Fresno County Superior Court stemming from his arrest in February.
- At that time, Waller was hit with 10 felony charges involving sexual assault and child pornagraphy.
- Those charges included lewd and lascivious acts with a juvenile aged 14 or 15, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sodomy with a person under 16, distributing/showing pornography to a minor and the use of a minor to sell/produce pornography.
