Ray Wickliffe Howland Gets 10 Years for Child Sex Bid

Ray Wickliffe Howland, 57, of Arlington, Texas, is headed to federal prison for a decade after attempting to arrange sexual contact with a minor across state lines. The grim sentence, handed down in Pittsburgh, lands at 120 months behind bars, followed by a mandatory 10 years of supervised release.

Sentencing was delivered by Senior United States District Judge Gustave Diamond, who found Howland guilty of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The charge stems from actions taken on or about June 25, 2015, when Howland used interstate technology—including a computer, an iPad, the internet, and telephone—to try to lure a minor into illegal sexual activity.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Howland didn’t just make vague overtures—he actively worked the digital landscape to manipulate and exploit what he believed was a young victim. Federal authorities say he knowingly and deliberately used online tools to cross state boundaries in pursuit of criminal gratification.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar led the government’s case, building a prosecution that left little room for denial. The digital trail, investigators say, was damning—text messages, search history, and communication logs painting a picture of premeditated predation.

The probe was a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General. U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton praised the collaboration, calling the conviction a win in the ongoing war against child sexual predators operating in cyberspace.

This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice’s national crackdown on child exploitation launched in 2006. The initiative combines federal, state, and local forces to hunt down online predators. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.