WASHINGTON, D.C. (LOOTPRESS) – A federal jury in the Southern District of West Virginia has convicted a West Virginia man of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Officials said Dustin Stover Bowles was found guilty following a trial that detailed abuse occurring between September and December 2006. According to court documents and evidence presented, Bowles sexually abused a minor known to him while babysitting the child at his home.
Authorities said the victim later disclosed the abuse in 2020 to trusted adults and Army criminal investigators.
Prosecutors said Bowles was on active duty with the United States Army at the time of the incidents and was stationed in Hanau, Germany.
The case was brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act. In addition to the victim identified in the indictment, three other individuals testified that Bowles sexually abused them while they were asleep.
The jury convicted Bowles of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12 while abroad as a member of the armed forces. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.
A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering federal guidelines and statutory factors.
“Because of the victim’s courageous disclosure, years after being abused, the jury held Dustin Bowles to account,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protecting children from abuse and exploitation, even abuses committed decades ago and overseas.”
“Bowles preyed on a child entrusted to his care and committed a calculated, predatory act that shattered that trust in the most unforgivable way,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito for the Southern District of West Virginia.
“This was not a mistake — it was a deliberate exploitation of the most vulnerable. The courage of this victim stands in stark contrast to the cruelty of the offender. Those who target children will be found and brought to answer for it — wherever they are and no matter how long it takes.”
“No matter the circumstances, no matter where you are in the world, the FBI will investigate, find, and bring to justice those who think they can prey on the most vulnerable members of our community. Tarnishing the nation’s uniform makes these actions all the more egregious,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office.
“The FBI and our international partners will not hesitate to pursue justice across time and borders to protect our children.”
The FBI and the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald of the Southern District of West Virginia.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
