NY Man Pleads Guilty To Raping Salem Teen, Sentenced To 4 Years Prison

SALEM, MA — A New York man was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to raping a 16-year-old girl as she slept in Salem last April.

The Essex County District Attorney's Office said Anthony Bowden, 34, of Albany, NY, pleaded guilty in Salem District Court to charges of rape, open and gross lewdness and distributing obscene matter to a minor.

Assistant District Attorney Haleigh Reisman told the court that the victim, a 16-year-old girl who was known to Bowden, awoke to Bowden sexually assaulting her in her sleep on April 28, 2024, in Salem.

Reisman delivered a brief statement on behalf of the victim, whose name is not being released due to her young age. The victim described the assault as "a disturbing experience that she never imagined she would have to go through."

Bowden was also sentenced to three years of probation, during which time he must stay away and have no contact with the victim, have no unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16, undergo a sex offender evaluation, and register with the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB).