Registered Sex Offender Arrested in Warren County Online Sting

A registered sex offender from Maryland was arrested Tuesday, January 21, 2025, in an undercover operation led by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. The sting targeted individuals attempting to solicit minors online and is part of the office’s ongoing efforts to protect children in the community.

Chance J. Bowman, 6’0” white male, brown eyes, and brown hair, Sharpsburg, MD, Offenses: § 18.2-374.3. Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children. (x3 felony counts) § 18.2-370 Indecent Liberties (1 felony count). Photo courtesy of RSW Jail.

Investigators posing as minors under the age of 15 were contacted by 28-year-old Chance J. Bowman, a resident of Sharpsburg, Maryland. During the online exchanges, Bowman requested explicit images from the person he believed to be a juvenile girl and sent sexually explicit images of himself. Bowman later arranged to meet the minor in Warren County with the intent of engaging in sexual activity.

Upon his arrival, Bowman was arrested by investigators. Subsequent inquiries revealed that he had a prior conviction for a similar crime in Pennsylvania and is a registered sex offender in that state.

Bowman faces three felony charges for using a communication system to solicit a minor (§ 18.2-374.3) and one felony charge for taking indecent liberties with a minor (§ 18.2-370). He is being held at the Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren (RSW) Regional Jail without bond. His court date is set for February 20, 2025, in Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

The operation is part of the Northern Virginia/DC Metro (NOVA/DC) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, coordinated by the Virginia State Police. The task force works to combat the exploitation of minors through online platforms.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about this case or other incidents of online solicitation of minors to come forward. Individuals can contact Criminal Investigator C.M. McDaniel at (540) 635-7100 or via email at cmcdaniel@warrencountysheriff.org.

This arrest emphasizes the Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to ensuring the safety of children in the Warren County area and bringing those who target them to justice.

From a Warren County Sheriff’s Office Press Release.