A Sanford man has been charged with possessing pornographic videos of children after an investigation led by the FBI culminated in a search of his home this week, the Rant has learned.
John Morgan Bowen, 39, of 5020 Simpson Drive in Sanford has been charged with nine counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and is in custody at the Lee County Jail under a $750,000 secured bond, according to a press release from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Captain Jeff Johnson of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said the FBI contacted his office Monday saying they’d been investigating Bowen and wanted to conduct a search of his home. The sheriff’s office assisted in the operation and reportedly seized a computer and other items from Bowen’s home.
“There were significantly more” than nine individual videos identified, according to Johnson, who said the case remains under investigation. “The charges are all state charges right now, but the FBI is going to go through all the evidence and decide whether to pursue federal charges. It’s very possible there will be more charges.”
