Mifflinburg man convicted in Union County teen sex assault case

A Union County jury convicted Timothy Alan Dowhower, 45, of Mifflinburg, on Wednesday after about 90 minutes of deliberation in a three-day trial over the sexual assault of a teenage girl. Judge Michael Piecuch revoked Dowhower’s bail after the verdict, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody.

Prosecutors said the assaults happened at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson in Lewisburg in 2022 and 2023, when the victim was 14 and 15. They also said she had met Dowhower when she was 12 and later became friends with his children. The jury found him guilty on 24 counts total, including six felony counts and 18 misdemeanor indecent-assault counts.

The felony convictions included aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual extortion, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors. First Assistant District Attorney Phil Sassaman led the prosecution and said the victim was brave and that the verdict amounted to justice served.

Dowhower now faces sentencing before Piecuch. If the court imposes the maximum on every count, he could receive up to 106 years in prison and $225,000 in fines. He also faces lifetime registration under Megan’s Law and an evaluation by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, which will determine whether he qualifies as a sexually violent predator.

The verdict closes a case that had already been delayed. It had been set for a two-day trial on Nov. 24 and 25, 2025, before being rescheduled for June 22 through June 24, 2026.

Dowhower is also tied to a separate alleged $870,000 theft case involving the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau, a matter being held until the sexual-assault case is resolved.