Cameron Robert Bowen confesses to stalking children around the world for sex via Instagram
A predator already facing a life sentence has confessed to having stalked children around the world for sex over a five-year period via Instagram.
Police & Courts
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A child sex predator already facing a historic maximum life sentence has confessed to 20 more crimes against LGBTQI+ youth, committed via Instagram.
In the District Court on Tuesday, Cameron Robert Bowen admitted using the popular social media platform to stalk, pester, sexually abuse, menace and harass teenagers across Australia and overseas.
The court heard the state’s elite Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team had identified at least six of the abused children – who will give victim impact statements against Bowen.
Last month, Bowen, 32, of Salisbury, made legal history by pleading guilty to having maintained an unlawful sexual relationship despite having never met his victim in person.
His confession has set a national precedent for the prosecution and punishment of online child sex predators, and has left him facing a maximum life sentence.
That crime, like all of Bowen’s charges, arose from his time under the tutelage of Australia’s worst-ever child sex offender, former RAAF Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh.
The court has previously heard Walsh, an intelligence agent, taught Bowen how to pursue LGBTQI+ teenagers through Instagram while pretending to be a woman.
Bowen was originally facing a further 40 charges but, on Tuesday, prosecutors filed a fresh set of paperwork with the court.
It accused Bowen of committing 20 offences at his Salisbury home between September 2015 and November 2020.
They range from using a carriage service – meaning the internet – to access child exploitation material, through to seeking to groom children for sex with it.
It alleged Bowen used at least three different identities on Instagram, and transmitted illegal and indecent material via that app’s private messaging system.
Bowen pleaded guilty to all 20 charges.
Judge Geraldine Davison remanded Bowen in custody to face sentencing submissions in December.
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