A Burnaby, B.C., man charged with child sexual assault has been identified as Sheldon James Lowney.
On Tuesday, officials declined to identify the man when announcing the charges, but have since relented.
Lowney is accused of befriending the girl online, arranging to meet her, and sexually assaulting her. The girl and her mother reported the alleged crime last month.
A man with the same name, who is also a freestyle rapper with the stage name Hydro604, posted a message to his fans from jail on May 29.
The message states, in part: “I am not the monster the media portrays me to be, nor are the allegations about me true.”
According to court records, a man named Sheldon James Lowney pleaded guilty to sex offences in 2015, including befriending teenage girls online and engaging in sex acts — some of which were recorded on video.
He was sentenced to 20 months in jail and two years of probation.
However, the judge denied a request from the Crown to limit his contact with minors, finding he was of “low risk” to reoffend.
Burnaby RCMP said they worked with Surrey RCMP and New Westminster police on the new file.
Surrey RCMP is warning that they’ve seen cases of online child pornography more than double in the last three years.
The detachment is asking parents to makes sure they’re talking with their kids about the issue, and to report anything suspicious.
Lowney is due back in court on June 25.
Comments