Sex Offender Sentenced To Ten Years In Federal Prison For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Victor Eugene Howard (50, Oldsmar) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. Howard pleaded guilty on January 29, 2024.

According to court documents, an FBI agent downloaded child sexual abuse material distributed by Howard via a file sharing network. Howard, a registered sexual offender, used file sharing networks to download and view the material. The FBI executed a search warrant at Howard’s home and located numerous images of child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Derry and Abigail King.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.