A Waco man has been sentenced to life in federal prison on charges of coercion and enticement of a minor, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas. Bailey Warren Lowe, a 25-year-old resident of Waco, ran afoul of the law by using a Snapchat account to solicit sexually explicit images from a young girl, revealed court documents. He reportedly became aggressive when his requests were not met promptly or to his satisfaction, at times threatening to expose the minor.

Authorities say that in early 2022, Lowe, then 22, took his criminal behavior a step further when he visited the 13-year-old victim's residence and engaged in sexual activity with her in his car. Despite her repeated reminders of her age, Lowe did not use protection and instructed her to keep their interactions secret. At the time of these offenses, Lowe was serving in the Navy. Apart from his interaction with this victim, the investigation unearthed further instances where Lowe exploited several minors between 10 and 15 years old, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

Following his arrest on July 28, 2023, Lowe entered a guilty plea on December 5, 2023. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff, and the announcement of the sentencing was made by U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. Spearheaded by the FBI, this investigation forms part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative, a concerted nationwide effort initiated in May 2006 to combat the increasing crisis of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This program coordinates efforts across federal, state, and local agencies to better pinpoint and prosecute internet-based child exploitation while working to identify and aid victims.

For additional details on Project Safe Childhood and its mission to safeguard children from sexual exploitation and abuse, the public can visit the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas official website. This sentencing demonstrates the project's commitment and the justice system's hardline stance against such offenses, signaling an ongoing war on child exploitation.