Man sent sex video to a sixteen year-old girl

A Portadown man was told last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court that he was lucky he had not ended up on the Sex Offenders Register.

This was after he had sent a 16-year-old girl, by Facebook Messenger, a video of a woman performing a sex act.

At an earlier court hearing Lloyd Fowler (53), whose address was given as Drumcree Grove, Portadown, admitted that on December 16, 2016, he sent by means of a public electronic network a message or other matter that was grossly offensive or indecent.

The court heard that a young male was involved in an altercation with the defendant.

Fowler was alleged to have sent through Facebook Messenger a video of a woman masturbating to the young man’s girlfriend.

The victim was 16 at the time on the incident.

When interviewed the defendant said he didn’t know what was on the video he sent.

The case had been adjourned to obtain a pre-sentence report.

Mr John McAtamney, representing the defendant, said Fowler was extremely lucky but the pre-sentence report on his client was positive.

He added that this was a single message and the defendant didn’t appreciate the full contents of the message before sending it to this girl and others.

Mr McAtamney said that Fowler apologised immediately and there had been no contact since between him and this young girl.

He added that the defendant had a problem with opiates.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, told Fowler that he was lucky.

She told him there were other charges which could have put him on the Sex Offenders Register.

“It is a nasty offence,” she added.

“I’m accepting what was said in the pre-sentence report but I have my doubts.”

Judge Kelly imposed a community service order of 180 hours.