Sept. 7, 2010

OLATHE MAN SENTENCED 21+ YEARS IN CHILD PORN CASE THAT STARTED WITH INVESTIGATION IN AUSTRALIA

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Larry L. Howard, 42, Olathe, Kan., has been sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Howard pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography. In his plea, Howard admitted he took pornographic photos of a 2-year-old girl, which he traded over the Internet for more child pornography. He initially was charged in a criminal complaint alleging the investigation began Sept. 1, 2009, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ( www.missingkids.com ) received a tip that a man in Australia had uploaded child pornography to the Flickr.com website. The Australian Capital Territory Police identified an Australian man as the user who posted the photos and filed child pornography charges against him.

Investigators learned the Australian man had been producing child pornography and swapping files over the Internet with other producers of child pornography around the globe. Among White’s contacts was an American who went by the Internet alias Blyndman68. Australian Federal Police shared the information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cyber Crimes investigators, who followed Blyndman68's electronic trail to Olathe, Kan. On March 8, 2010, agents of ICE, the Olathe Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service served a search warrant at Howard’s home, resulting his arrest.

Grissom commended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Olathe Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Australian Federal Police and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Marin for their work on the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood. For more information see www.projectsafechildhood.gov .