Dane Bowler, a 43-year-old resident of Veyo, Utah, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. This sentencing follows his admission to attempting to engage in sexual acts with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old. He was convicted of coercion and enticement.
Court documents reveal that between November 1 and November 6, 2023, Bowler communicated via cellphone and the internet with someone he thought was a minor. The individual was actually an undercover officer. Bowler's criminal history includes a previous conviction for the same offense in federal court in 2007, which resulted in a sentence of five years' imprisonment and supervised release.
The announcement came from Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. The investigation was conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation along with the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Christopher Burton from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project utilizes resources from federal, state, and local levels to apprehend offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.