Man sex trafficked autistic teen who was rescued at Florida motel, feds say
A man accused of sex trafficking an autistic teenager in northwest Florida was arrested after federal prosecutors said a tip called in to authorities from a motel led to the 16-year-old’s rescue.
Terrance Vertrone Alwayne Lowder III, 29, of Panama City, has now been sentenced to 20 years in prison on child sex trafficking charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida said in a Sept. 5 news release.
Ahead of sentencing, Lowder, also known as “Trey,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking a minor and receiving benefits from sex trafficking a minor, according to prosecutors.
Lowder’s federal public defender did not immediately return McClatchy News’ request for comment.
In January 2024, Lowder lured the 16-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts in “exchange for money” and “conspired with other men to traffic (her),” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed by the government.
“To entice her, Lowder told (her) that he would split the proceeds evenly with her; however, that later turned out to be a lie,” the sentencing memo says.
Lowder had the girl driven to a Panama City Beach motel, where she was given alcohol and methamphetamine as Lowder acted as her “pimp,” according to the court filing.
She was sex trafficked inside the motel room for two days, prosecutors said.
On social media and through text messages, Lowder advertised the teen to different adults for commercial sex acts, according to prosecutors.
The trafficking came to an end after prosecutors said the motel notified the Bay County Sheriff’s Office that there were unregistered guests in the motel room, where the girl was located.
Lowder was arrested the day of the girl’s rescue, according to prosecutors.
“Lowder’s crimes were well-planned, abhorrent, and dangerous,” prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memo, in which they argued for a sentence of 30 years to life for Lowder.
Lowder will serve 10 years of supervised release after serving his 20-year sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He is also required to register as a sex offender for life.
“I deeply appreciate not only the excellent investigative work by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office that helped bring this offender to justice, but also the vigilance of the private citizen who reported the suspicious activity that led to his arrest,” U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said in a statement.
Concerns or suspicions about child sexual exploitation can be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline online or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Man sex trafficked autistic teen who was rescued at Florida motel, feds say."
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