Zimbabwean pastor Walter Chahwanda was jailed for nine years in UK for sexual offences

Walter Chahwanda's court appearance via video link

LIVERPOOL, UK – UK-based Zimbabwean gospel singer turned pastor Walter Chahwanda (33) has been sentenced to nine years in prison after a jury found him guilty of 17 sexual offences involving minors and young women.

The sentence, handed down at a Liverpool court, includes a five-year extended licence period, meaning Chahwanda must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for release. He will also be subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order, indefinite inclusion on the sex offenders’ register, and permanent restraining orders barring contact with his victims. Chahwanda appeared via video link from HM Prison Liverpool, wearing a white jacket over a black T-shirt.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Chahwanda used his position within the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) and later at his own Liverpool-based church, Sound of Dominion, to target victims. Prosecutors said that over four years, he groomed and exploited children and young women he met through church networks, sending explicit sexual images and videos.

In sentencing remarks, Judge David Swinnerton described a pattern of calculated abuse:

“You abused the trust and power that you had in your position in the church to violate eight different young girls… your behaviour was deliberate, predatory and sustained.”

The court heard that all victims were under 18, with two aged just 14 at the time of the offences. Each received unsolicited explicit content from Chahwanda, leaving them “bewildered, confused, and scared.”

Judge Swinnerton highlighted the profound psychological impact on the victims, noting that the offences occurred during formative years:

“At a time when they were growing up… you stripped them of their dignity and privacy to satisfy your own desires.”

Victim impact statements presented in court detailed long-term emotional trauma, with legal observers noting that such cases often involve lasting damage to trust, relationships, and mental health.

Legal analysts in the UK say extended sentences are typically imposed in cases where offenders are deemed a continuing risk to the public, particularly minors.

“The court clearly assessed him as posing an ongoing danger to young girls,” one UK-based criminal justice expert said, referencing the judge’s decision to impose extended supervision measures.

Chahwanda, once a prominent figure in Zimbabwean gospel circles in the UK, had built a reputation as a youth leader and musician. The court heard that his visibility and influence within church communities enabled him to gain the trust of victims and their families.

Judge Swinnerton noted that Chahwanda’s public image worked in his favour:

“They saw this good figure in the church, and you abused all of that for your sexual urges to come to the fore.”

The judge further criticised his lack of remorse, stating that he continued to deny responsibility and showed “no understanding” of the harm caused.

The case has raised renewed concerns about safeguarding practices within faith-based organisations, particularly those working with youth. Child protection advocates stress the need for stronger oversight and reporting mechanisms in religious institutions to prevent abuse of authority.

Walter Chahwanda sentencing