Convicted sex offender in Appleton sentenced to 15 years for child pornography

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - An Appleton man convicted of possession of child pornography will serve the next 15 years in federal prison and the rest of his life under supervision.

William Bowers, 42, was a registered sex offender, convicted in 1999 of two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child in Waukesha County. He spent 20 years in state prison, and shortly after his release Bowers was reported to probation and parole agents for sexually suggestive websites bookmarked on his computer.

Federal prosecutors say an investigation immediately found “numerous illicit websites and social media applications in violation of the terms of his state supervision,” and a further search of his electronic devices found images of child sexual abuse. Bowers pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography this year, after years of legal proceedings and medical evaluations.

U.S. Judge William Griesbach said 180 months of imprisonment was a fair and just sentence given the serious nature of the crime and Bowers’ history.