Canton, New York Man Robert Bowen Found Guilty of Child Exploitation: Sentencing Set for February 11, 2027, Faces 15 to 30 Years
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York announced that Robert Bowen, 46, of Canton, New York, has been found guilty of sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography following a bench trial in Syracuse. Bowen will be sentenced on February 11, 2027, by Chief U.S. District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, who presided over the bench trial and rendered the guilty verdicts.
Evidence presented during the bench trial proved that, in June 2025, Bowen exchanged text messages with an 8-year-old child, first using the Roblox application and later using his cell phone's messaging application. During those exchanges, Bowen sent the child pornographic media and requested that the child take sexually explicit images and videos of herself and send them to him. The evidence established that Bowen received sexually explicit media from the child and asked her to send more. Prosecutors said the child's family reported the conduct to police, and Bowen was swiftly identified.
The sexual exploitation charge alone carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. Bowen will also be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said Bowen used an online gaming platform frequently visited by children to encounter and prey upon an innocent victim, and he encouraged parents and guardians to be vigilant about who their children are communicating with online. Anthony J. Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo, said the exploitation of even one child is unacceptable and that HSI remains committed to working with law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who harm children.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Lombard, Illinois, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Gillis and Tamara Thomson are prosecuting the case. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于Syracuse的James M. Hanley联邦法院大楼（本案由纽约北区联邦法院在此审理）。照片：Kenneth C. Zirkel，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons。当事人无官方照片，以法院标准建筑图代之。
