By Kathy Laird
CCN Corespondent
BUCYRUS — Kyle Bowen 30, of Galion will spend the next twenty years in prison after he pleaded guilty to three charges in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday.
Bowen pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery and one count of rape, a second-degree felony. Bowen also will be required to register as a Tier 3 sex offender. Before pronouncing Bowen’s sentence, Crawford County Common Pleas Judge Sean Leuthold heard statements from the prosecution, one of the victims and court-appointed defense attorney James Mayer III.
Bowen declined to comment.
Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler spoke on behalf of the State of Ohio. Hoovler told the court that offenses against children are the worst his office sees.
“Crimes against children are the worst. Their innocence and vulnerability is taken away,” Hoovler said. “We have three incredible young women who spoke up ages nine, 12 and 14 years old. Perhaps the saddest comment was made by the victim who was only eight at the time. She wrote a simple sentence that said, ‘Mr. Bowen decided to do a bad thing.’”
Hoovler then turned to the 14-year-old victim and said, “You’ll come through this. You are an incredible, brave young woman. I am thankful that you stood up for your sisters.”
Hoovler then turned to Bowen and told him how he had listened to hours of Bowen’s conversations from jail and all the lies Hoovler said Bowen tried to tell.
“In reality, this is your entire fault,” Hoovler said. “You stole their innocence and their vulnerability for your own sexual pleasure. You were their stepfather. You were supposed to love and protect them and you did not do that. I hope you will think every day and every hour for the next 20 years about what you did, You chose to victimize these children; as young as eight years old.”
Next, one of Bowen’s victims, a 14-year-old girl addressed the court. She told the court she was seven years old when Bowen first victimized her.
“I would cry and think ‘Why me?’ I dealt with the pain,” the victim said. “I hated it when my mom was at work. I told my mom and she thought I was lying and grounded me. She and Mr. Bowen came into my bedroom and I was scared. He was looking at me like he was going to do something. I thought if mom wouldn’t believe me; who would? Everything just got worse, I felt trapped. I am grateful now that it is ending, but I wanted to die. I didn’t want my mom to be hurt.”
The victim went on to explain to the court that she thought dying would be better than living, but that she wanted to be here with her sisters. She became enraged when she found out her nine-year-old sister was being victimized.
She told the court her mother was at work and her and her other sister decided to go swimming. The nine-year-old daughter decided not to go and that subsequently was when she was abused.
Recalling the date of September 15, the victim said she decided to confide in her friend at school. Together they sought out the guidance counselor who contacted police and child protective services.
Even after exposing the situation, the victim said her mother blamed her. She was told that Bowen could go to jail for life and could be beaten and raped in jail, the victim became afraid her mother would be violent with her noting that she had been kicked in the face by her mother in the past.
She told the court she felt she needed to protect her sisters, but seemed to be caught in a never-ending cycle of abuse. She said when Bowen was arrested she was relieved.
“I didn’t have to see him and he couldn’t hurt us anymore,” the victim said.
She talked about how kind school administrators were to her and that she suffered from depression and flashbacks of the abuse. The children no longer are in the custody of their mother. Although the other siblings have visitation with their mother, the victim has had no contact with her.
In what resulted in a brief moment of levity; the victim turned to Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Hoovler and said, “This guy, sorry I forgot his name, was right. (Bowen) was my stepfather; he was supposed to love and protect us and he did not.”
Mayer III spoke to the court about the negotiated resolution of the case.
“Mr. Bowen never had a desire to have a jury trial” Mayer said. “He cooperated and answered questions. There is an acceptance of responsibility. This resolution is in the best interest of the victims.”
A much moved Leuthold wanted to put information on the record that he felt the victim did not need to be present to hear. He asked her to be removed from the courtroom during those comments but assured her she would be back for the sentencing.
Leuthold applauded the victim calling her a “brave young lady.” He told the court that this is not a case of he-said-she-said, but a case where the defendant admitted to doing horrible things to his victims. The judge then recited a long list of confessions during police interviews where Bowen admitted to his conduct.
Among what Leuthold called the most egregious, was a game Bowen convinced the victim to play. He told police that he did this to the victims so that they wouldn’t do it with other people. He also proposed a “special relationship” where secrets were kept between him and his victims.
“There is no doubt that this young lady completely told the truth,” Leuthold said. “She went through hell and I don’t want anyone to ever question her credibility which is why I’m putting this on the official court record.”
Leuthold then allowed the victim to return to the courtroom.
In addressing Bowen before pronouncing sentence, Leuthold said, “You exposed these children to systematic abuse. You exploited them for your cowardly sexual pleasure. This child is as courageous as you are a coward.”
Addressing the victim, Leuthold said, “They were supposed to protect you but they betrayed you. Not all adults want to exploit you or not believe you. I wish I could take this back for you, but rest assured for every horrific human being like this defendant there are more good people in the world. Yet through it all, you worried about your Mother. You don’t have to worry about seeing this guy for the rest of your life.”
Leuthold went on to say that a sentence of less than 20 years would demean the suffering the children went through. He told the defendant that he will do every single day of the 20-year sentence.
Bowen will be required to register as a Tier III Sex Offender, who must report in person to the sheriff’s office in whatever county he resides in every 90 days.
As the defendant was led from the courtroom, Leuthold turned to the victim with some final advice.
“Walk out of here and put this behind you. You have a new school, new friends, and a new life,” Leuthold said. “You’ll never have to worry about him again. God bless you.”