Evergreen Reporter

A Springfield, Missouri man received a 17-year federal prison sentence for the sexual exploitation of a child. Ricky Lane Bowers, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark and will also serve 20 years of supervised release after his incarceration.

Bowers pleaded guilty on July 25, 2023, to charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor. He confessed to communicating with an individual in Texas who had sent him images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Additionally, Bowers admitted to taking pornographic photos of a child victim and sending them to the same person in Texas.

Authorities confiscated Bowers's cell phone used for communication with the Texas defendant. Forensic examination revealed files containing child pornography and evidence showing that Bowers produced child pornography using images and videos of the child victim.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan prosecuted this case, which was investigated by several agencies including the Greene County Sheriff's Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program unites federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood or Internet safety education resources, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.