Union County Man Arrested on Child Exploitation Charges Following Investigation

A Union County man is in custody after investigators say they discovered illegal child sexual abuse material on his cellphone during a criminal investigation.

According to a press release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received an initial report involving Joshua Bowers on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Following that report, the sheriff’s office launched an independent criminal investigation led by a detective specially trained to handle crimes involving children.

Investigators executed a search warrant on Bowers’ cellphone, where Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) was allegedly located. As a result of the findings, arrest warrants were obtained Wednesday, Jan. 14, charging Bowers with sexual exploitation of children. He was taken into custody the same day and is currently being held at the Union County Jail.

Sheriff Shawn Dyer said the agency remains committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable. The sheriff’s office is encouraging anyone with credible information related to criminal activity involving children to report it directly to law enforcement so cases can be handled lawfully and professionally.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 706-439-6066. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be turned over to the Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.