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Accuser’s Father: Trust in Daniel Bowman Misplaced

The father of a woman who says a Marshall County man sexually abused her when she was a child told a jury Tuesday he never should have trusted his friend to be alone with his young daughter.

That testimony, as well as additional testimony from one of two accusers, came during the second day of Michael Daniel “Dan” Bowman’s trial in Marshall County Circuit Court.

Bowman is charged with 13 counts of sexual abuse against two girls between 2006 and 2008. Both accusers are now adults.

He was arrested after a woman told the West Virginia State Police that Bowman abused her when she was a child. Bowman allegedly had sexual contact with one girl while her mother was not home, sometimes locking her brother in a closet to keep him out of sight. A friend of the first accuser also reported being sexually abused by Bowman when she was around 11 years old.

Continuing her testimony from Monday, the 23-year-old accuser again took the witness stand Tuesday and answered questions from Marshall County Prosecutor Rhonda Wade and Bowman’s attorney, Mark Panepinto, regarding Facebook Messgenger conversations allegedly sent between her account and Bowman’s account.

The woman denied having sent any messages, one of which reportedly stated she “hardly knew” Bowman. On Monday, she testified her interactions with Bowman started off normally, but eventually he began to perform sex acts on her and forced her to watch him perform sex acts on himself when she was around 11 years old.

The woman said she still feels guilty for not reporting what happened until several years later.

“I blame myself for not telling anyone sooner,” she said.

The 23-year-old’s father also testified Tuesday morning, explaining he had been friends with both the defendant and another accuser’s father for many years. He testified he knew nothing of the alleged crimes against his daughter until he spoke with police about the case following his daughter’s report in 2015.

He said Bowman often stayed at his home after nights of drinking.

“If I would have known anything I would have called the police,” he said. “I should have listened to the advice my father gave me: Trust no one.” Testimony from the second accuser and her family members is expected when the trial continues at 9 a.m. today.

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