Georgia Man Sentenced on Weapons and Child Pornography Charges

BUFFALO—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Anthony Derick Howard, 45, of Hinesville, Georgia, who was convicted of possession of child pornography and possession of a weapon, was sentenced to three years of in prison and five years’ supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles B. Wydysh, who handled the case, stated that the defendant attempted to cross the border at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry on March 30, 2011 while operating a tractor-trailer. After being pulled over for a secondary inspection, he was found to be in possession of two knives and two firearms. Subsequent investigation determined Howard had been previously convicted of a felony in 1990 by General Court-Martial while serving in the U.S. Army. The defendant was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stabbing a civilian in the chest and, upon his release, was discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge. It is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to be in possession of firearms or ammunition. A further search of Howard’s truck revealed 13 additional knives, an empty military-style weapon magazine, and brass knuckles, among other items. A forensic examination of a computer the defendant had also revealed the presence of child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under the direction of James C. Spero, Special Agent in Charge; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in Charge.