JOSHUA FOWLER OF WHITTLESEY CAUGHT TWICE BY UNDERCOVER POLICE IN PETERBOROUGH

In a disturbing series of events, Joshua Fowler, a 27-year-old resident of Coronation Avenue in Whittlesey, Peterborough, was caught engaging in predatory online behavior targeting teenage girls. His attempts to groom minors through social media platforms were thwarted not once, but twice, by vigilant undercover officers.

Fowler first initiated contact with what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in November and December of 2023, using the Kik instant messaging application. Unbeknownst to him, the girl was actually an undercover police officer. Despite being informed of her true age, Fowler’s messages quickly turned sexual in nature. He sent explicit videos, including one of himself performing a sex act inside his home, along with photographs of his genitalia. Additionally, Fowler expressed a disturbing preference for seeing teenage girls in their school uniforms, further highlighting his predatory intentions.

Following these alarming communications, Fowler was arrested in early 2024. Authorities seized his mobile phone for analysis, uncovering a cache of illegal material. The device contained one Category C indecent image of a child and five Category A images, which are classified as the most severe. The investigation also revealed that Fowler was a member of multiple group chats dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material. Disturbingly, the phone also held four extreme pornographic images depicting adults engaging in sexual acts with animals.

During police interviews, Fowler remained silent, answering no comment to all questions. He was subsequently released on bail while further investigations continued. It was initially expected that he would face charges in November of the previous year. However, during his bail period, Fowler continued his predatory behavior. He resumed contact via Kik and Snapchat, this time with another girl he believed to be 14 years old. In reality, this was another undercover officer. Their conversations, which began in late October, quickly turned sexual once again, with Fowler attempting to persuade the girl to perform a sex act.

Fowler’s actions led to a second arrest, and he was formally charged and remanded in custody. The charges included two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, attempting to incite or cause a girl to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to view sexual images, two counts of making indecent images of a child, and possession of an extreme pornographic image. At a court hearing held at Huntingdon Law Courts on Friday, 17 January, Fowler admitted to all the charges against him. The court sentenced him to a total of four years in prison, marking a significant step in addressing his disturbing criminal conduct and protecting potential victims.