An Alabama youth pastor who was arrested in April for child sex abuse involving a boy under 16 years of age has now been hit with yet another child sex charge.

We covered the case of Acton Bowen — an author, public speaker, and evangelist with ties to failed Senate candidate Roy Moore — earlier this year. He was taken into custody after being charged with second-degree sodomy, enticing a child to enter a vehicle or house for immoral purposes, and second-degree abuse.

Now, he’s facing a new charge on the same grounds.

According to court records made public Thursday, the 37-year-old founder of Acton Bowen Outreach, was indicted June 22 on a felony charge of traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act. … [Bowen] was initially arrested in April on those charges brought by Hoover police. The victim in that case was a young male, but police did not release his age except to say he is over 12 and under 16. The new indictment involves the same Hoover victim, and an alleged incident that happened around the same time as the other reported crimes. Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said the department’s Special Victim’s Unit first launched the investigation three weeks prior to Bowen’s April 10 arrest. According to Alabama law, a person commits the crime of [second-degree] sodomy if he or she, being 16 years old or older, engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another person less than 16 and more than 12 years old.

This story seems to be getting more intense. While the victim is the same, Bowen is now accused of traveling in order to commit the crime.

On the new charge, the indictment states Bowen “did knowingly and willfully travel within this state, to this state, or from this state by any means, or attempted to do so, or knowingly causes another person to do so or attempt to do so, for the purpose of engaging in any unlawful sex act with a child, including sexual intercourse, sodomy, a sexual performance, obscene sexual performance, or other sexual conduct for the benefit of (Bowen).” His bond on the new charge is set at $60,000 but he is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on no bond.

In addition to charges and arrests in numerous regions, there’s also a warrant out against Bowen from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Authorities say they expect more charges against him in more counties, and that the FBI is involved.

There’s no telling how big this case will get, or how Bowen was able to keep his godly disguise on for so long, but I am glad he’s in custody and unable to hurt any kids. Hopefully those victims will get the justice they deserve.

(Thanks to Scott for the link)

