Robert Bowen, age 46, of Canton, New York, has been found guilty of sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography following a bench trial in Syracuse. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone made the announcement.

Evidence presented during the bench trial proved that, in June 2025, Bowen exchanged text messages with an 8-year-old child using the Roblox application and later using his cell phone's messaging application. During the exchange, Bowen sent the child pornographic media and requested the child take sexually explicit images and videos of herself and send them to Bowen. The evidence established that Bowen received sexually explicit media from the child, and requested she send more.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, "Bowen used an online gaming platform, frequently visited by children to encounter and prey upon an innocent victim. Fortunately, the child's family reported the conduct to police and Bowen was swiftly identified, thanks to the investigative efforts and successful partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. I encourage parents and guardians to be vigilant about who their children are communicating with online. My office remains committed to protecting our communities against Internet predators such as the defendant."

"Robert Bowen's conduct reflects the disturbing and reprehensible lengths to which some individuals will go to prey upon and exploit the most vulnerable among us" said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony J. Patrone of HSI Buffalo. "The exploitation of even one child is unacceptable and demands an unwavering and coordinated response. HSI Massena remains resolute in its commitment to working with our law enforcement partners across state lines to identify, apprehend and hold accountable those who harm children."

Bowen will be sentenced on February 11, 2027, by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, who presided over the bench trial and rendered the guilty verdicts. The sexual exploitation of a child charge against Bowen carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. The defendant will also be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Lombard, Illinois, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Gillis and Tamara Thomson are prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.