Bowers out on bond after child sex charge conviction
A Soldier resident was found guilty Thursday by a jury in Jackson County District Court of child sex charges stemming from incidents that allegedly occurred in late 2012, but for the time being, he remains free on bond.
After nearly two hours of deliberations on Thursday, jurors returned three guilty verdicts in the case of Anthony W. Bowers, 49, who was charged with rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy. The verdicts closed a trial that had begun on Monday in district court.
Jackson County Attorney Shawna Miller said Friday that no sentencing date has been set for Bowers, who remains free on bond. A sentencing date is not likely to be set until after a telephone conference on the matter, to be held sometime in April, she added.
It was reported that each of the three convictions carries a presumed prison sentence of 25 years, but the sentences can be modified by the presiding judge.
It was the second trial on the charges for Bowers, whose original trial in December 2014 on the charges resulted in a hung jury. At that time, Miller said Bowers would be tried again on the charges, it was reported.
According to the criminal complaint, Bowers had reportedly committed sex-related crimes against a girl who was five years old at the time. The complaint stated that the incidents in question occurred between Oct. 31, 2012, and Dec. 25, 2012.
Bowers was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Detention Center in March of 2014 but was released on $50,000 cash or surety bond five days later, it was reported.
Miller’s request on Thursday that Bowers be remanded to custody to await sentencing was denied by District Court Judge Norbert Marek, she said.
