William B. Bowers, Child Pornography Possession, Wisconsin 2023

Appleton Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Possession

By Grimy Times Staff

Appleton, WI – In a disturbing case of child exploitation, William B. Bowers, a 42-year-old resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

Bowers, a convicted sex offender, was previously convicted of two counts of Second-Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in 1999. He was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

However, after being released onto supervision, Wisconsin Probation and Parole Agents discovered that Bowers was active on numerous illicit websites and social media applications, in violation of the terms of his state supervision and his rules as a lifetime sex offender registrant. Further investigation revealed that several of Bowers’ devices contained child sexual abuse material.

On May 9, 2023, Bowers entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2).

At sentencing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the crime, especially in light of Bowers’ history of child sexual abuse. Judge Griesbach determined that a sentence of 180 months’ imprisonment was a fair and just sentence under federal law. Upon the completion of his federal prison sentence, Bowers will spend the remainder of his life on supervised release. He also must continue to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.

This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Division of Community Corrections and the City of Menasha Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For additional information, contact Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales at Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov or 414-297-1700.

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