Suspect Admitted Contact, Denies Sexual Intent
A 72-year-old Pocatello man is facing a felony child sexual abuse charge after Pocatello Police used a Flock license plate reader camera to track down a pickup truck connected to a disturbing incident at a local convenience store last month.
James Henry Bowlin, also known as Donald Glenn Bowlin, was taken into custody on July 30 at approximately 2:15 p.m. at his home. He was booked into the Bannock County Jail without bond following an investigation into events that unfolded two weeks earlier at the Fast Stop Express, located at 3957 South 5th Avenue in Pocatello.
According to investigators, the incident occurred on July 15 at approximately 1:10 p.m. A parent told police that the suspect had touched her daughter on the buttocks with an open hand. The girl described the man as having cut in front of her family before patting her buttocks three times with an open hand.
After the incident, the suspect left the scene in a white Nissan Titan pickup truck with a passenger described as weighing approximately 400 pounds. Pocatello Police used footage from a Flock License Plate Reader camera to identify and locate the vehicle. Officers then traced the truck’s registration to a home address where a woman matching that description resided, helping confirm the connection to Bowlin.
Store surveillance footage also played a key role in the investigation. Video from Fast Stop Express showed the suspect wearing clothing bearing the phrase “Wake up and smell the freedom,” and investigators were able to match visible tattoos to Bowlin.
Bowlin Acknowledged Being at the Scene
When officers interviewed Bowlin following his arrest, he acknowledged that he had been at the convenience store and admitted to patting a younger female on the buttocks. He estimated the victim’s age at between 13 and 14 years old. However, he denied that the touching was sexual in nature.
Despite that denial, prosecutors charged Bowlin with felony child sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of as much as $50,000. Bowlin has been appointed a public defender, and a preliminary hearing is expected this week.
The case is not the first time Bowlin has faced accusations of this nature. Court records indicate he has a prior history of battery and sexual battery, including two separate cases from June 2020 in which he was accused of groping women under the pretense of offering a hug.
Flock Technology Proving Valuable for Local Law Enforcement
The arrest highlights the growing role that automated license plate reader technology plays in local law enforcement. Flock cameras, which capture and catalog vehicle plate data in real time, have become an increasingly common tool for departments across Idaho and the country. In this case, the technology allowed Pocatello Police to move quickly from a physical description of a vehicle to a confirmed address, connecting a suspect to the scene within days of the incident.
Public safety officials in Bannock County and across Southeast Idaho have pointed to such tools as force multipliers that allow smaller departments to solve cases that might otherwise go cold. The Fast Stop Express incident is a clear example: without the plate reader data, investigators would have been relying solely on witness descriptions and store surveillance footage to identify a suspect who had already left the area.
Bowlin remains in the Bannock County Jail as his case moves through the court system. As with all criminal proceedings, the charges against him are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Bannock County News will continue to follow this case as it progresses through the courts. For more on public safety issues across Southeast Idaho, visit Idaho News.