Youth evangelist Bowen pleads guilty to child sexual abuse charges

Youth evangelist Bowen pleads guilty to child sexual abuse charges

Alabama evangelist Acton Bowen pleaded guilty Dec. 2 to 28 counts of sexual abuse against children.

Bowen entered the plea in an Etowah County courtroom on the day his trial was set to begin, according to Etowah County District Attorney Jody Willoughby. 

Bowen, a prominent youth leader and speaker and founder of Acton Bowen Outreach Ministries, was first arrested by Hoover police in April 2018 on several criminal charges, including enticing a child for a sexual act and sexual abuse involving six different victims between the ages of 13 and 16. He was later charged for similar crimes in Etowah County and in Bay County, Florida.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20. No agreement was made, Willoughby said, which means Bowen could face the maximum sentence for each offense, including up to life in prison. Willoughby declined to comment on sentencing or charges in other jurisdictions. (TAB)