Former Alabama youth evangelist pleads guilty to sex abuse charges

Published 11:17 am Monday, December 2, 2019

A former Alabama evangelist has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual abuse.

State news sources report Acton Bowen, 39, the former youth evangelist accused of sexually abusing teenagers, has agreed to plead guilty to all sex abuse charges in Etowah County. Bowen’s trial was scheduled to begin today.

Bowen pleaded guilty to 10 different counts involving three victims who were between the ages of 12 and 16 at the time. At least two of the victims said Bowen offered them hundreds of dollars to perform sexual acts.

Two of the counts bring a maximum sentence of 99 years in prison. Judge Debra Jones will have a sentencing hearing in the next 30 days.

Bowen has been held without bond at the Etowah County Detention Center since his arrest in April 2018 on multiple indictments of second-degree sodomy, sexual abuse, enticing a child to commit a sexual act, and other charges. He also has a hold from other agencies, including Jefferson County.