MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) – A 42-year-old Appleton man was sentenced to over ten years behind bars for possessing child pornography.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, William B. Bowers was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on November 17.

Court records show that in 1999, Bowers was convicted of two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child in Waukesha County. He was sentenced to 20 years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

On February 5, 2020, after being released onto supervision, officials were contacted by a concerned individual who observed sexually suggestive websites bookmarked on Bowers’ computer.

The following day, a search of Bowers’ electronic devices revealed that he was active on numerous illicit websites and social media applications in violation of the terms of his state supervision and his rules as a lifetime sex offender registrant.

Further investigations revealed that several of Bowers’ devices contained child sexual abuse material.

On May 9, 2023, following a series of legal motions and medical evaluations, Bowers entered a guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.

At sentencing, Judge William Griesbach noted the serious nature of the crime, especially in light of Bowers’ history of child sexual abuse. The judge determined that a sentence of 15 years was warranted under federal law.

Upon the completion of his prison sentence, Bowers will spend the remainder of his life on supervised release. He also must continue to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.