was an LDS first counselor in a ward bishopric and a restaurant owner in Spanish Fork, Utah; was an LDS missionary in Taiwan 1999-2001; accused of sexual abuse of a teenage girl who worked in his restaurant; arrested in July 2023; in June 2024, found guilty by a jury of forcible sexual abuse (second-degree felony) and lewdness (class B misdemeanor); sentencing set for July 29, 2024

Case report

Kevin Bowman was a Mormon bishopric first counselor in Utah.

In July 2023, Bowman was accused of sexually abusing a worker at a Spanish Fork restaurant he owned.

In June 2024, he was found guilty by a jury of forcible sexual abuse (second-degree felony) and lewdness (class B misdemeanor).

Sentencing was set for July 29, 2024.

At the time of the alleged sex crimes and his arrest, Bowman was serving as a first counselor in an LDS ward in Spanish Fork. He was also serving as a ward activity chairman.

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Bowman served a full-time mission to Taipei, Taiwan from 1999 to 2001.

He was married in an LDS temple in August 2002.

From KSL on 2023-07-20:

“ SPANISH FORK — The owner of a Spanish Fork restaurant has been arrested and accused of being sexually inappropriate with a teenage employee.

Kevin Gerald Bowman, 42, of Spanish Fork, was arrested Thursday for investigation of forcible sexual abuse and lewdness.

The investigation began June 8 when a 16-year-old girl told police “she was sexually assaulted by Kevin while at her place of employment at Teriyaki Madness,” according to a police booking affidavit.

Police say Bowman is the owner of the restaurant at 788 N. 800 East.

The girl told police Bowman would “make inappropriate comments to her, call her beautiful and gorgeous, grabbed her breasts and would ‘brush her butt,'” the affidavit alleges. She recounted several incidents to detectives, including a time when Bowman dropped his shorts and stood in front of the girl wearing “see-through” mesh underwear allegedly to show her his sunburn; a time he inappropriately touched her while applying itching cream to the girl, and a second time he inappropriately touched her, according to the affidavit.

Bowman was questioned at the Spanish Fork Police Department on Thursday. He denied many of the allegations or gave a different versions to some of the events than the girl, according to the arrest report.

“I advised Kevin it was concerning that he is a 42-year-old male and the victim is a 16-year-old female and he pulled down his pants to show her his sunburn. Kevin advised she asked to see it. He was advised that was bizarre behavior and it was also bizarre behavior for him to be applying cream to her back, especially by going under her shirt,” the arresting officer wrote.

About 40 minutes after arriving at the police station, Bowman informed detectives that “he was done answering questions.” He was placed into handcuffs at that time and arrested.”

Case facts

Case information sources

  1. Utah County restaurant owner accused of sexually abusing worker
    view source details | 20 Jul 2023 | KSL

Case information source details

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