Shawn Howells, Possessing and Distributing Child Pornography, Pennsylvania 2017

SCRANTON—Shawn Howells, 43, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury with possessing and distributing child pornography.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment alleges that between November 29, 2016 and January 20, 2017, Howells used the internet to view a minor engaging in illegal sexual activity, and during that same time period transported child pornography by any means, including by computer.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob is prosecuting the case.

Howells faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the possessing and distributing child pornography.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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.

Project Safe Childhood is led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and is implemented by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Howells is considered innocent until proven guilty in court. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

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