Grizzly Flat Man Sentenced To Over 12 Years For Receipt And Distribution Of Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Nicholas Robert Bowen, 63, resident of Grizzly Flat, California, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 12 and one-half years in prison for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Bowen and a female companion were arrested by Davis Police officers after the female was caught exposing herself to 10-12 year old boys while Bowen filmed the encounters using a spy camera built into his glasses.  A subsequent search of Bowen’s phone and his computer, including in a folder called “boys,” discovered over 600 images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  In sentencing Bowen, Judge Nunley commented that the offense conduct was “egregious,” and that Bowen was an “active individual” in the offense.  Judge Nunley further noted that Bowen’s actions have had a “huge impact” and potentially “ruined” the childhoods of the victims in this case.

Charges remain pending against Bowen in Yolo County Superior Court.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Davis Police Department, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. ICAC is a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles and Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.