A Valdosta man, Laronce Howell, has been sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and assaulting a federal officer. Howell, who was 46 at the time of sentencing, was given the statutory maximum of 30 years for producing the material, and an additional three years for assaulting a jailer while in custody.
U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands delivered the sentence on March 26. Howell will also undergo 15 years of supervised release after his prison term and must register as a sex offender. He admitted guilt to both charges—producing child pornography and assaulting a federal officer.
Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker expressed the office's commitment to prosecuting offenders like Howell: “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."
Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan also highlighted the collaborative efforts in bringing Howell to justice: “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."
Court records reveal Howell used a cell phone to record a 13-year-old involved in explicit conduct, sending the footage to a family member. He was apprehended in October 2020 by Valdosta Police. The assault incident occurred when, as a federal inmate, Howell attacked an officer in November 2024.
Howell's criminal past includes multiple convictions for drug-related offenses, family violence battery, and robbery. He had been on parole for a month before committing the offense related to child pornography.
This prosecution is part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, established in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child exploitation. The project works to locate and prosecute those exploiting children and to aid victims.
The Valdosta Police Department investigated the child pornography case, while the United States Marshals Service handled the assault case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted both cases.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood, officials direct the public to visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
