Texas Judge Rejects Plea, Sentences Man to 75 Years in Shocking Child Abuse Case

A judge denied a child predator’s request for probation and instead sentenced him to 75 years in prison. Texas native DJ Christopher Lowe was convicted of producing and distributing child p---------- and s—-- exploitation of minors in 2013.

The investigation began in 2010 after an individual in Italy was arrested for possessing child p----------. Authorities determined that he had obtained the material from a person living in the United States. They also uncovered chat records between the man and Lowe and learned about their connection.

Italian authorities then contacted U.S. officials, and a federal search warrant was issued against Lowe. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies searched Lowe's home in Sugar Land, Texas, near Houston on August 13, 2010. They found around 17,000 images and hundreds of videos of child p---------- at his residence.

The victims were aged between 2 and 10 years. Additionally, photographic equipment was also seized from his home. Lowe was arrested at the scene and faced parallel cases in both federal and state courts. Meanwhile, authorities interviewed the victims at the Fort Bend County Children's Advocacy Center.

The following year, Lowe pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child p---------- and sexual exploitation of children in a federal court. He confessed to exploiting six different children, some of whom were his own relatives.

In January 2013, U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. sentenced him to 45 years in prison. Lowe was 37 at the time.

However, Lowe had yet to face state charges. In August 2013, he pleaded guilty to aggravated s—-- assault of a child at his residence in a Texas court. As a part of his plea agreement, he sought a seven-year deferred probation. As he appeared before Judge Raquel West, the judge refused to be lenient, citing the seriousness of his crime.

“Mr. Lowe was previously in court, entered pleas of guilty to three cases of possession of child p----------. There was an agreement in those three cases for a seven-year deferred probation and a $1,000 fine with dismissals, I think, in three or four other cases. I've received the pre-sentence report,” West said.

The judge went on to highlight that one of Lowe’s victims was his own family member, who was just five years old. West added that, given the nature of the crime, she would not accept his plea agreement.

“Mr. Lowe was actually involved in creating with his own family member victim, who was very young, five years old. This is a family member who was victimized. For those reasons, I do not feel comfortable accepting deferred probation in these cases, so I'm going to reject those plea offers,” she concluded.

Lowe was eventually sentenced to 75 years in prison in the state-level case. He was ordered to serve his federal and state sentences concurrently. He remains incarcerated in a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.