Predator Cameron Robert Bowen’s vile online manipulation of teen girl he was stalking revealed in court
This pedophile would send vile messages to a teen girl’s friends to control and isolate her. Today she – one of 22 victims – condemned him in court.
Police & Courts
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When she was 13, self-described “bright and bubbly girl” Jane* turned to the internet in search of a girlfriend – but instead found a living nightmare.
She was seduced, isolated and sexually groomed by Cameron Robert Bowen, a male predator who posed as a woman online to prey upon the teenage LGBT+ community.
One of 22 girls around the world targeted by Bowen over a five-year period, Jane never met the pedophile face-to-face - but that in no way reduced his effect upon her life.
“This impacted every relationship in my life … I cut myself off from my mother, sister, brothers and all my friends because they didn’t like my ‘girlfriend’,” she told the District Court on Thursday.
“If I formed other friendships, ‘she’ would message them saying I was self-harming or sending them my nude photos … no relationship lasted long.
“I felt like I had to please everyone or else I was not a good person, even if what they were asking me for was impractical or inappropriate.
“I was 13 then, now I’m 21 and I’m still trying to find that person I was before I was manipulated by Bowen.”
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 21 offences, arose from his time under the tutelage of Australia’s worst-ever child sex offender, former RAAF Sergeant Jacob Donald Walsh.
On Thursday, Brad McLeod, for Bowen, said his client accepted both “full responsibility” for his actions and his “inevitable” prison term.
“He comes to this court today ashamed and disgusted by his conduct, remorseful for the stress and hurt he has caused to his victims and their families,” he said.
“Using these fake personas to talk to children (arose from) his poor self-worth … he pretended to be people he felt were more attractive than himself.”
He said Bowen had written a letter of apology, asking he be forgiven for crimes perpetrated out of “insecurity”.
Judge Geraldine Davison, however, said that letter created a problem for Bowen.
“This sort of offending does not emanate from insecurity or anything else - he has pedophilic tendencies, and that’s what he needs to show insight in relation to,” she said.
She remanded Bowen in custody for sentencing in two weeks.
* The Advertiser has used a pseudonym for the victim because, under law, she cannot be identified to protect her privacy.
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