Court documents reveal that multiple victims reported to the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office that Michael Gene Bowman Jr. either molested, groped or was sexually inappropriate with them when they were minors.
Bowman was recently charged by the Laclede County Prosecuting Attorney’s office with three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy in connection with the alleged molestation of a girl who is less than 14 years old. Bowman has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. He is currently being held in the Laclede County Jail with bond denied, according to court records.
In the past, Bowman has been involved in youth sports. He is a former board member of the United States Specialty Sports Association youth baseball board and was an unpaid assistant coach for baseball at Joel E. Barber.
Court documents released this week contain accusations from not only the child, but also other people who allege they were groped or saw another person groped by Bowman when they were minors.
The investigation into the alleged sexual assaults began on Aug. 11 when it was reported to the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview with the victim, the girl alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by Bowman over a period of two years, according to a probable cause statement written by a deputy.
For more on this story see Saturday's LCR.
