This month, internet-based content creators who raise awareness about child sex crimes kickstarted a local investigation by the Union County Sheriff’s Office that resulted in the arrest of a Blairsville man for possessing child sexual abuse material, aka “child pornography.”
Joshua Bowers, 35, was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of children related to images discovered on his cellphone, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
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The tip that led to Bowers’ arrest came from “Predator Poachers,” an online group based out of Houston, Texas, that conducts citizen investigations to catch people committing sexual crimes against children. Predator Poachers’ work is reminiscent of the TV series “To Catch a Predator.”
Union County deputies responded to Bowers’ residence on Jan. 7 while Predator Poachers was filming its confrontation with him, and Bowers voluntarily turned over his cellphone to law enforcement at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office said.
From there, the Sheriff’s Office conducted its own “independent, criminal investigation by a detective that is specially trained to work these crimes,” in this case, UCSO Sgt. Marc Pilote.
“As part of the investigation, a search warrant was executed on Mr. Bowers’ cellphone where illegal Child Sexual Abuse Material was located,” the Sheriff’s Office shared on social media the day Bowers was arrested.
Sheriff Shawn Dyer is thankful to Predator Poachers for alerting the Sheriff’s Office to Bowers’ alleged criminal activity, which enabled local law enforcement to investigate the matter and make an arrest.
The sheriff does, however, ask that members of the public refrain from confronting alleged criminal offenders on their own, as doing so can be dangerous. Plus, letting law enforcement take the lead on investigations increases the odds of conviction, Dyer said.
That’s why Bowers was taken into custody a week after Predator Poachers came to town, as Sgt. Pilote needed enough time to build a case that he feels confident will hold up in court. The ultimate goal, after all, is not arrest but conviction, Dyer said.
“We appreciate the public’s concern for the safety of our children and encourage anyone with credible information regarding criminal activity to report it directly to law enforcement,” the Sheriff’s Office reiterated. “Allowing trained detectives to handle these cases lawfully and professionally is the best way to ensure offenders are held accountable in court.”
Continuing, “Sheriff Shawn Dyer and the Union County Sheriff’s Office remain dedicated to protecting our community and will continue to pursue these cases with the seriousness and diligence they demand.
“This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 706-439-6066. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”
Sheriff Dyer added that, thankfully, there is currently no evidence that Bowers ever physically abused children.
At press time, Bowers remained in custody at the Union County Jail on an $80,000 bond. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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