BEDFORD COUNTY, TN - A former Tennessee Department of Corrections worker may be spending more time at his former job site, depending on how sentencing unfolds. Rustin Adam Bowen was indicted this past October on 17 sex offenses by a Bedford County Grand Jury. The charges against the 40-year-old included 11 counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery, 1 count of Rape of a Child, 1 count of Incest, 1 count of Sexual Battery by an Authority Figure, and 3 counts of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.
An investigation into the sexual offenses was first conducted by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office in 2022. At that time, Bowen was arrested and charged with the Rape of a Child, Incest, 3 counts of Aggravated Sexual Battery, and 1 count of Sexual Battery. However, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office announced that their investigation was far from over and continued to interview possible victims and more.
Bedford County Detectives continued to uncover new evidence in the case and placed him under arrest in June of 2022. At the same time, Bowen was informed by his employer that he would be placed on administrative leave until the investigation was complete. Reports indicate that he had worked for that employer, the Tennessee Department of Corrections for a total of 11 years at the time of his arrest. His day-to-day role was as a statewide tactical coordinator, working with multiple sites rather than being assigned to a specific facility.
After his initial arrest, evidence gathered by the Sheriff’s Office was presented to a Grand Jury, leading to additional counts being filed against him in an indictment. Bowen was indicted on October 21, 2024.
According to court records, the first offense against a child took place 9 years ago in 2016. Following that first incident, the sexual offenses appear to have continued over the 6 years that followed, with the last charge tied to April 23, 2022. During the court proceedings that recently unfolded, at least 4 witnesses and 3 victims either appeared or were referred to in the case. Bowen was convicted of child rape, aggravated sexual battery, and continuous sexual abuse of a child. Those convictions involved more than one child, but exact details are not being released as the case revolved around juveniles.
Now, victims await what will happen during Bowen’s upcoming sentencing. He will reappear before Judge Forest Alexander Durard, Jr. in Shelbyville at the Bedford County Correctional Complex next month on February 27, 2025. At that point, he will likely be transferred to a state penitentiary, possibly one that he has visited many times before in his previous capacity while working for the Tennessee Department of Corrections.
