Who are Bowen Turner's parents? Soft sentence attributed to father's job at the DA's office
Bowen Turner's sentence of probation in one convicted case after being accused of raping three girls has led to widespread public fury. The controversy has also sparked an interest in his personal life.
Orangeburg County Judge Markley Dennis sentenced 19-year-old Turner to just five years of probation despite charges on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual misconduct for separate assaults in recent years. Furthermore, the perp will not have to register as a sex offender after serving probation. Bowen was also cited for violating the terms of his bond several times after his seizure. Chloe Bess, who was assaulted in June 2019, said she was "extremely disappointed" by the sentence. Dallas Stoller, another alleged victim of Turner's, killed herself in November.
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"If he has completed five years without any violations and has done all the counseling necessary, then he will not have to register as a sex offender," Dennis announced on Friday, April 8, to disappointed groans from the courtroom attendees. Bess said she was at a party with Turner when he pulled her behind a truck around 3 am and sexually assaulted her. "Turner then pulled her pants and underwear off and forced himself sexually on the victim," Second Circuit Deputy Solicitor David Miller said in court.
Meanwhile, a motion filed on April 6 by the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network argues that Turner escaped custody by leaving house arrest nearly 50 times. He allegedly visited multiple golf courses, shopped at sporting goods shops, went to a car dealership in Georgia, visited a steakhouse in Columbia, and even visited the grave of victim Stoller. The apparent leniency in Turner's sentencing has been attributed by many to his father's job at the District Attorney's office.
The reporter is not allowed inside what should be a public court case involving Bowen Turner, who's accused of violating his bond restrictions multiple times.
— Ally (@newscat44) April 8, 2022
The defendant’s father (Walt Turner) is an investigator in the office of S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe. https://t.co/Es32Gf2MyC
Who are Bowen Turner's parents?
Bowen Turner is the son of Walt Turner and Jennifer Baugh. Walt's LinkedIn profile describes him as an investigator for First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe. He has reportedly worked for the prosecution since 2005. Bowen's case was handled by the office of the Second Circuit Solicitor Bill Weeks as his father's work relationship with Pascoe meant a potential conflict of interest. Walt's office has jurisdiction over Orangeburg County. Court records state that the Weeks office covered Bowen's case, with Weeks' deputy David Miller prosecuting the case.
THREAD: This is 19-year-old Bowen Turner of Orangeburg, SC.
— Mandy Matney (@MandyMatney) April 12, 2022
We want you to remember his face.
Bowen Turner is accused of raping 3 girls in 3 different counties between 2018-2019.
One of those victims, Dallas Stoller, died in November.
1/ pic.twitter.com/pPe47KFVEP
It's worth noting that neither the Turner family nor his attorney has commented on the case and the outrageous sentence he received. MEAWW previously reported how there was a major backlash against presiding Judge Markley Dennis, who announced the sentence of probation. Meanwhile, Bowen continues to enjoy the support of his family. His mother Jennifer has taken down her social media profiles to mitigate the attention around the case. While her professional career is unclear, she raised Bowen in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where he attended Prep High School. According to reports, he was a football player during his school years.