Port St. Lucie Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Trading Child Sexual Abuse Material

MIAMI – Yesterday, Anthony James Howe, 33, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty in March to distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

In March 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents learned that an individual, later identified as Howe, had been using social media applications and chatrooms to trade CSAM with other users. Some of the images and videos traded by Howe depicted sexual abuse activities of children as young as toddlers. HSI agents also learned that Howe claimed he had installed a hidden camera in a minor child’s bedroom. HSI agents identified Howe as the person involved and executed a federal search warrant at his home. Howe later admitted to using social media platforms to send and receive CSAM.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez.

HSI Fort Pierce Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luisa Berti and Justin Hoover prosecuted it.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14003.

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