Cameron Lowther

Cameron Lowther, a 24-year-old man from Peterlee, County Durham, engaged in sexual communication with a 13-year-old girl via Snapchat, exploiting her interest in obtaining vapes. The interactions began when Lowther was 21 and the girl was 12, initially appearing friendly with compliments on her appearance. However, the conversation soon turned inappropriate as Lowther, aware of his vape-selling activities, proposed sexual acts in lieu of cash payment for the items.

Durham Crown Court heard from prosecutor Robin Turton that the girl initially declined Lowther's advances but later obtained two vapes from him during a chance encounter at a supermarket. Lowther then suggested they meet behind shops 'for a kiss'. In subsequent messages, he escalated by specifying sexual acts based on the number of vapes provided, demonstrating the persistent and grooming nature of his offending. The girl confided in her friends about the messages but delayed telling her parents until January, when she disclosed the unwanted attention to her mother and showed her the incriminating screenshots on her phone.

The screenshots, handed to police, revealed the girl's repeated refusals, where she reminded Lowther of her age (13) and his (21). Aggravating factors included the ongoing persistence of the messages and Lowther's requests for secrecy. Lowther admitted to the charge of sexual communication with a child. Despite a limited criminal record involving only driving and criminal damage offences, with no prior sexual history or custody, the court proceeded to sentencing.

In mitigation, Dan Cordy highlighted Lowther's early guilty plea and argued that while the offence crossed the custody threshold, his vulnerabilities—including ADHD as noted in the pre-sentence report—warranted alternatives to immediate imprisonment. Judge Deborah Sherwin acknowledged the progression from general to sexual messaging, stating, 'She was asking you for vapes and you were asking for sexual favours in return. You should never have made requests of that type to a girl so much younger than you at the time. You have acknowledged that now.'

Originally facing an eight-month prison sentence if convicted after trial, this was reduced to six months for the guilty plea. However, considering the short duration of potential custody and the need for rehabilitative intervention, Judge Sherwin suspended the sentence for two years, requiring 45 rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service. Lowther was also subjected to a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) restricting contact with girls under 16 and internet use, and he must register as a sex offender for seven years. The case was reported by The Northern Echo, with proceedings at Durham Crown Court.