was an LDS church member and Boy Scout leader in Washington, California, Utah and Idaho; was convicted of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child

About Douglas Bowen

Ties to LDS leaders/power: direct relative of Mormon apostle Albert E. Bowen and seventy Shayne M. Bowen

Douglas Bowen Mormon Sex Crime Case Summary

This case arose in Boise, Idaho in the 1990s.

Douglas R. Bowen, a Mormon church member, was accused in the 1990s of sexual abusing several boys in Boise, Idaho in the 1970s.

Doug Bowen was arrested in 1997 for attempted sexual abuse of a Scout – see Deseret News AP story 12/16/97.

Registered sex offender – Utah. Convicted of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in September, 1997.

Perpetrator: Bowen, Douglas R. – Mormon

Place: Boise

Troop & Location: Boise LDS Boy Scout Troop

Years in BSA: No IV File Late 70’s Early 80’s

We have obtained a detailed timeline for Doug Bowen’s abuse case.

Timeline for Douglas Ray Bowen:

DOB: 4/1950 (SSN Issued in California)

Late 1970’s May have abused several Scouts, including two brothers, in Boise.

1982 LDS Bishop called brothers into his office and asked if they had been molested by
Bowen, which at least one brother denied. Bowen was allegedly kicked out of LDS ward in
Boise and rumored to have moved to Oregon and was possibly working for the Ore-lda
Council.

1974

Authored Creative Campfires, which was published by Thorne Printing Co., Inc. in Nampa, Idaho. The book is “Dedicated to the hundreds of Scouts of the Cache
Valley, Redwood Area, and Ore-lda Councils who provided the inspiration for this
book by coming to summer camp and responding so enthusiastically to the campfire
programs.” Book is currently recommended on various Troop websites and is
available in Scout Shops and Scout-related sites on the web.

March 1987

Had a RO. Box in Price, Utah.

1987-1990

Lived in Buena Park, California and Los Angeles, California. (No court records in
Orange County or Los Angeles County.)

1990 – Present

St. George, Utah.

Fall 1997

Arrested and Convicted of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child, Iron
County, Utah. The victim was a Scout and the abuse occurred on or about March 7,
1997 on a scouting excursion. Spent six months in the Iron County Jail and then
placed on two years of probation. Released from probation in 1999. Was a
registered sex offender, but no longer registered.

Current

Mormon. Married and lives in St. George, Utah. Has three to four children, ages 21
to 30 years old. Has at least one grandson who was born in July 2011 .

The following case was filed on May 1, 2017 and it alleges that two plaintiffs (John doe XXI
and John DOE XXII) were abused by BOWEN.

JOHN DOE XX, JOHN DOE XXI, JOHN DOE XXII, SHANE JULIAN, and RILEY GILROY,
Plaintiffs, v. BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, a congressionally chartered corporation
authorized to do business in Idaho; CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, a foreign
corporation sole registered to do business in Idaho; and CORPORATION OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS AND
SUCCESSORS, a foreign corporation registered to do business in Idaho,

Defendants.

“ALLEGATIONS SPECIFIC TO JOHN DOE XXI

17.

Plaintiff John Doe XXI realleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 -16.

18.

John Doe XXI was born in 1963.

At all times relevant to this Complaint, John Doe XXI was a child involved in Scouting, in
Scout Troop 20, by the LDS Defendants Boise Fifth Ward. John Doe XXI was under the
care, custody, protection, and/or responsibility of each Defendant during the time he was
involved in Scouting.

20.

One of leaders of Scout Troop 20 was Doug Bowen. In or around approximately 1 974 or
1975, Bowen sexually abused John Doe XXI during a Scout camping event, by kissing and
fondling him, engaging in masturbation, and engaging in other acts of sexual and emotional
abuse.

21.

As a Scout leader for Troop 20, Bowen abused at least two other Scouts, in addition to John
Doe XXII, and attempted to abuse at least one other Scout, in the troop.

At all times relevant to this Complaint, John Doe XXI was a child involved in Scouting, in
Scout Troop 20, by the LDS Defendants Boise Fifth Ward. John Doe XXI was under the
care, custody, protection, and/or responsibility of each Defendant during the time he was
involved in Scouting.

20.

One of leaders of Scout Troop 20 was Doug Bowen. In or around approximately 1 974 or
1975, Bowen sexually abused John Doe XXI during a Scout camping event, by kissing and
fondling him, engaging in masturbation, and engaging in other acts of sexual and emotional
abuse.

21.

As a Scout leader for Troop 20, Bowen abused at least two other Scouts, in addition to John
Doe XXII, and attempted to abuse at least one other Scout, in the troop.

ALLEGATIONS SPECIFIC TO JOHN DOE XXII

22.

Plaintiff John Doe XXII re-alleges and incorporates by reference paragraphs 1 -21 .

23.

John Doe XXII was born in 1963.

24.

At all times relevant to this Complaint, John Doe XXII was a child involved in Scouting, in
Scout Troop 20, by the LDS Defendants Boise Fifth Ward. John Doe XXII was under the
care, custody, protection, and/or responsibility of each Defendant during the time he was
involved in Scouting.

Ill

Case 1 :17-cv-00184-CWD Document 1 Filed 05/01/17 Page 7 of 24

Page 8 COMPLAINT

25.

One of leaders of Scout Troop 20 was Doug Bowen. In or around approximately 1 974 or
1975, Bowen sexually abused John Doe XXII during a Scout camping event, by kissing and
fondling him multiple times, and engaging in other acts of sexual and emotional abuse.

26.

As a Scout leader for Troop 20, Bowen abused at least two other Scouts, in addition to John
Doe XXI, and attempted to abuse at least one other Scout, in the troop.

62.

Within the past three years Plaintiffs discovered and continue to discover that, throughout
the time they were involved in the Scouting program and until at least 2010, Defendants
perpetrated a fraud related to the dangers of Scout leaders sexually abusing children in the
Scouting program. Prior to each Plaintiff’s discovery of Defendants’ fraud, each Plaintiff did
not know and could not know that Defendants’ misrepresentations, or lack thereof,
regarding the trustworthiness of Scout leaders and the safety of the Scouting program were
false, and that Defendants knew the Scouting program was structured in such a way that
sexual abuse of Scouts by Scout leaders was certain to occur to some degree within the
Scouting program.”

LDS Sex Abuse: FLOODLIT Reader Poll


The poll below is completely anonymous. We love hearing from you! View all polls results

What change(s) would be MOST impactful to protect LDS kids? (choose up to 3)

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
Online sources
  1. Idaho Boy Scout Abuse - Douglas Bowen
    view source details | |
Online sources excerpts

 

Add information on Douglas Bowen

"*" indicates required fields

Share details to help us improve our records. To report an unlisted abuser, email us at tips@floodlit.org. We'll keep you anonymous unless you tell us otherwise. Anything you share via this form will be privately reviewed by the FLOODLIT team to see if it's something we can publish.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Donate to help us research Mormon sex abuse cases.

Browse our LDS sexual abuse database.

 

Do a case review about Douglas Bowen

You can help Floodlit.org improve our database by reviewing this case and letting us know what we can change or add.

Mormon sex abuse cases: latest updates

Browse our most recently updated cases below or view all accused LDS church members.

Mormon sex abuse map

The map below shows places where alleged or confirmed sex crimes by Mormon church members took place, where the accused lived, where they were arrested, and where they served prison time. Visit the FLOODLIT map.

+Add map marker