Woman Pleads Guilty to Falsely Claiming Beach Rape

State Police prepared this composite drawing based on the alleged victim’s description. She later admitted that she made it up.

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 19, 2012

A 20-year-old Exmore woman who told Cape Charles police March 23 that she had been raped on the Town beach was sentenced today to one year in jail for filing a false police report. However, 11 months of the sentence were suspended, so she is only required to serve 30 days.

Suzanna Bowen pled guilty today in Northampton General District Court to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report. She is also required to perform 200 hours community service and provide restitution for the expenses of the police investigation.

Cape Charles Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown told the Wave that Town police spent at least 100 man-hours investigating the false charge. The Northampton Sheriff’s Office also investigated, as did State Police, who prepared a composite drawing of the alleged assailant.

Bowen had claimed that she was raped by a stranger during daylight hours — about 6:30 p.m. March 23 — on the north end of the Cape Charles beach.

Former Cape Charles police officer Charles Graham testified for the Town at the hearing today.

Chief Brown told the Wave that Cape Charles police interviewed Bowen for nearly three months.  “The last interview was more of an interrogation,” he said.

By late May, police had determined that the rape allegation was a hoax. Bowen was arrested June 11.