Man, 79, sent to prison for child porn possession

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

LUDINGTON — A 79-year-old man was sentenced to 50 months (four years and two months) to 10 years in prison for a conviction of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material in Mason County’s 51st Circuit Court Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Bowker

Ernest Jay Bowker pleaded guilty to the charge, Sept. 1, court records show. Bowker has two prior criminal sexual conduct convictions, said Mason County Prosecuting Attorney Beth Hand.

“A tip placed the defendant on the radar of law enforcement,” said Prosecutor Hand. “After obtaining probable cause, a search warrant was sought and executed to seize his electronic devices. The Mason County Sheriff’s Office detective in charge did a thorough investigation. By seizing and searching the defendant’s electronic devices, they learned the defendant possessed an excessive amount of child pornography.”

Bowker was prosecuted as a fourth-offense habitual offender. Judge Susan K. Sniegowski gave him credit for 179 days served in jail. 

______________________________________

Please Support Local News Coverage

For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.

If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.

Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.

Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.

Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year. That’s a two month savings!
Click here to subscribe annually.

If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:

Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454

Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.

Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.

Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.

This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.

As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.