Holland Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

GRAND RAPIDS – United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Darian Howard, 25, of Holland, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child.

“My office takes very seriously its obligation to protect vulnerable victims, and children this young are among the most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney VerHey. “Child exploitation is one of the most troubling crimes we prosecute and we work diligently to secure justice and appropriate sentences for predators.”

In November 2024, a woman called 911 after learning that Howard had taken sexually explicit photographs of her three-year-old daughter. A police investigation revealed that Howard had taken sexually explicit images of two three-year-old girls, including a video that depicted him sexually assaulting one of the minor girls. Howard was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and pleaded guilty to one of the counts in May 2025.

“One of the Holland Department of Public Safety’s primary goals is to make the Holland Community safe from criminal activity,” said Kris Haglund, Captain of Criminal Investigations for Holland Department of Public Safety. “By partnering with the FBI and Children’s Advocacy Center we are pleased with the conclusion of this case. Without these partnerships, this case would not have had the result it did. We hope that the families who were impacted by this incident can have a sense of closure because of this prosecution.”

“The indictment of Darian Howard reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice against those alleged to exploit the most vulnerable members in our community,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged actions are disturbing and will not be tolerated. I want to thank the dedicated members of our FBI Grand Rapids Resident Agency, including the West Michigan-based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX), Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Holland Police Department for their diligent work. The FBI will remain steadfast in pursuing those who target our children and work to hold alleged predators accountable under federal law.”

The Holland Department of Public Safety, Ottawa County Sherriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa Al-Howaishy prosecuted it.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.