Jackson County, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A man is facing high-level felony charges after investigators said he held a victim at gunpoint and sexually assaulted them last year.
Kevyn Malachi Bowen, 20, of Cash, appeared in court on Feb. 2 and was charged with one count of Rape (Class Y Felony) and one count of Terroristic Threatening (Class D Felony).
According to the probable cause affidavit, the investigation began on Dec. 15, 2025, when the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a sexual assault of a child. During an interview, the victim told investigators they had met Bowen online and communicated for several months before meeting in person.
The victim stated that on Nov. 22, they met Bowen in his vehicle near their home. Once inside, Bowen threw the victim’s cell phone out the window, got a handgun from the glove box, and threatened to shoot the victim if they did not comply.
Court documents detailed an encounter in which Bowen forced the victim into the backseat and raped them. The victim told investigators they complied solely out of fear for their life.
Following the assault, Bowen ordered the victim to dress and threatened to return if they reported the incident. When Bowen got out of the vehicle and opened the rear door, appearing to search for something, the victim used the opportunity to escape. They got their phone and ran off into the nearby woods before making it home.
Investigators later got consent to search the victim’s phone, where they discovered messages between the victim and Bowen. Based on the evidence and the victim’s statements, authorities issued a warrant for Bowen’s arrest on Jan. 22. According to his booking sheet, Bowen was released on $75,000 bail the following day.
Sources indicated Bowen is the son of 43-year-old Kevyn Bowen, who was charged with one count of video voyeurism and one count of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting sexual conduct involving a child in June of last year. Online court records state that Bowen’s case is still open.
Editor’s Note: JRN has chosen not to publish certain details due to the graphic nature of the case.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic/sexual violence, call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
