The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and 20-year prison sentence of Aaron Bowlin on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse in an unpublished memorandum opinion issued October 23, 2025. The state's highest court found no error warranting reversal in the Fulton County case.
Bowlin was convicted by a Fulton County jury of sexual abuse in the first degree involving two minor victims, identified in court records as N.H. and C.H., who were the daughters of his former girlfriend, S.H. The trial court, presided over by Judge Timothy A. Langford, sentenced Bowlin to 20 years' imprisonment following the conviction.
The case originated in 2022 when Bowlin was indicted on multiple serious charges in Fulton County. The initial indictment included three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with a victim under 12 years of age, four counts of first-degree rape with a victim under 12 years of age, two counts of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, and two counts of use of a minor under age 16 in a sexual performance.
Bowlin and S.H. were in a romantic relationship and lived together between 2010 and an unspecified later date, according to court records. During this period, the alleged offenses against her two daughters occurred. The victims' exact ages and the specific timeframe of the alleged abuse were not detailed in the available portions of the Supreme Court opinion.
The case took an unusual procedural path through Kentucky's court system. Around the same time as the Fulton County indictment, Bowlin was also indicted on sex offenses against the same victims in neighboring Hickman County. The Hickman County case proceeded to trial first, where Bowlin was acquitted of those charges. Two months after that acquittal, he faced trial in the Fulton County case that resulted in his conviction.
This sequence of events highlights the complexity that can arise when alleged criminal conduct spans multiple jurisdictions. While the specific reasons for the different outcomes between the two counties are not detailed in the available court records, such variations can occur due to differences in evidence, charges, or trial circumstances.
Bowlin exercised his right to appeal the Fulton County conviction to the Kentucky Supreme Court as a matter of right, as provided under Section 110(2)(b) of the Kentucky Constitution. This constitutional provision allows defendants in certain serious criminal cases to bypass intermediate appellate courts and appeal directly to the state's highest court.
In its memorandum opinion, the Kentucky Supreme Court conducted a review of the trial proceedings and found no reversible error. The court's opinion was designated as unpublished, meaning it carries specific limitations under Kentucky law. According to Rule of Appellate Procedure 40(D), unpublished opinions cannot be cited or used as binding precedent in other cases in Kentucky courts.
However, the rule does provide a narrow exception. Unpublished Kentucky appellate decisions rendered after January 1, 2003, may be cited for consideration by courts if no published opinion would adequately address the legal issue at hand. When citing such unpublished decisions, attorneys must include the entire decision in their filing and provide copies to the court and all parties.
The unpublished nature of this opinion reflects the Kentucky Supreme Court's determination that the case did not present novel legal issues or establish new precedent worthy of publication. Instead, the court appears to have applied established legal principles to affirm the lower court's handling of the case.
The conviction on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse represents a significant criminal conviction under Kentucky law. First-degree sexual abuse typically involves sexual contact with victims who are particularly vulnerable due to their age or other circumstances. The 20-year sentence imposed by the trial court reflects the serious nature of these offenses and Kentucky's approach to punishing such crimes.
The case number 2024-SC-0210-MR indicates this was a mandatory appeal (MR) that reached the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2024, though the opinion was not issued until October 2025. This timeline reflects the thorough review process undertaken by the state's highest court in serious criminal matters.
With the Supreme Court's affirmation, Bowlin's conviction and sentence become final unless he pursues further federal appeals. The decision concludes a legal process that began with his 2022 indictment and involved trials in two separate Kentucky counties.
The case underscores the Kentucky court system's handling of serious sexual offense cases involving minor victims and demonstrates the appellate process available to defendants convicted of such crimes. The different outcomes in Hickman and Fulton counties also illustrate how similar charges can result in different verdicts based on the specific evidence and circumstances presented in each jurisdiction.