Pastor and Gospel Singer from Zimbabwe Convicted of Multiple Sexual Offenses

Walter Chahwanda, a pastor and gospel artist residing in the UK, has been convicted of numerous sexual offenses against children and young women following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court. The judgement was delivered on February 3, 2026, where a jury determined his guilt on seventeen charges.

Chahwanda, 34, who previously served with the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), exploited his trusted role to prey on victims throughout the country over a span of four years. Evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) indicated that he initiated contact with victims during church-related events and subsequently engaged with them on social networks such as Snapchat and Instagram, where discussions rapidly became sexualized.

The court heard that Chahwanda commented on the appearance of young girls, sent them unsolicited explicit images and videos of himself, and disturbingly encouraged victims to expose themselves, suggesting that the potential danger of being discovered was a part of his fantasy.

Aaron Smith, a lawyer from the CPS Mersey Cheshire RASSO unit, remarked, “Walter Chahwanda utilized his role as a respected Pastor to exploit a 14-year-old child and inflict harm on numerous young women and children. He showed utter disregard for their vulnerability and was solely driven by his own sexual desires.”

Despite reports by various victims to church officials about his misconduct, Chahwanda persisted in his predatory behavior until the father of one victim reached out to the NSPCC, which encouraged other victims to report him to the authorities. His initial arrest occurred in February 2024, and he was re- interviewed in April 2025 as additional potential victims were identified.

Chahwanda, who resides at Plemonstall Court in Chester, denied all allegations made against him in police interviews, claiming that the sexualized exchanges were merely “naughty” role-play. Initially charged with 22 offenses involving nine victims, he was ultimately found guilty on 17 counts, including sexual activity with a child and distribution of indecent images. He was exonerated on three counts, including rape, while two charges related to blackmail were not pursued.

Sentencing for Chahwanda is scheduled for March 20, 2026. The CPS commended the bravery of the victims, emphasizing that their courage in coming forward was instrumental in securing justice in this case.