A resident of Valdosta, Georgia, has received a sentence totaling 33 years in prison on charges of producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and assaulting a federal officer. U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands handed down the sentence on March 26, with the defendant receiving 30 years for the CSAM production and an additional three years for the assault.
Laronce Howell, aged 46, was convicted of producing CSAM after admitting to recording a minor engaging in explicit acts with two men and distributing the footage. This offense carries a statutory maximum of 30 years. Howell has also pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer, an incident that occurred while he was incarcerated at the Tift County Jail.
"Recidivist violent offenders like Laronce Howell, who was only on parole from state prison for one month when he filmed a minor being sexually abused, will see their cases in federal court," noted Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. "In the pursuit of justice, we will maximize the use of our federal resources against those producing child sexual abuse material."
Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan applauded the joint efforts that led to Howell's conviction. "This is an outstanding effort by our detectives, the U.S. Attorney's Office and numerous community partners who dedicated countless hours to prepare this case for prosecution, resulting in a dangerous predator being removed from our community and held accountable for his actions," she stated.
The court documents reveal that Howell, a federal inmate at the United States Marshals Service at the time, assaulted an officer after requesting his cell door be opened, then attacking the officer. Howell's criminal history includes prior convictions related to drugs, family violence, and robbery.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. This initiative brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders and rescue victims. More details about the initiative can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard led the prosecution for these charges, with investigations conducted by both the Valdosta Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. Howell will also face 15 years of supervised release post-imprisonment and is required to register as a sex offender.