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

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 P.O. 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.

Defendants

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,

“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 1974 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.

22. ALLEGATIONS SPECIFIC TO JOHN DOE XXII 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.

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 1974 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.”

FIFTH DISTRICT COURT- CEDAR
IRON COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH
STATE OF UTAH vs. DOUGLAS R BOWEN
CASE NUMBER 971500333 State Felony
CHARGES
Charge 1 – 76-5-404.1(2) – ATTEMPTED – SEX ABUSE OF A CHILD – 2nd Degree Felony
Offense Date: March 07, 1997
Plea: September 22, 1997 No Contest
Disposition: September 22, 1997 No Contest

Defendant to serve 1 year(s) jail
36 months probation

Sources
  1. Douglas Bowen
    view source details | 25 Nov 2013 | Idaho Boy Scout Abuse
  2. Douglas Bowen Wedding Announcement
    view source details | 25 Feb 1982 | The Daily Herald
  3. CORRECTION
    view source details | 19 Apr 1997 | The Daily Spectrum
  4. Arrests
    view source details | 12 Apr 1997 | The Daily Spectrum
Sources excerpts

Images: Douglas Bowen LDS sex crime case

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