Spokane, Washington – A Richland man has been extradited from Kazakhstan and plead guilty to attempting to produce child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
Trent Drexel Howard, 50, of West Richland, Washington, plead guilty on September 23, 2021, to one count of Attempted Production of Child Pornography, as part of a plea agreement with the government. As part of the agreement, Howard and the government agreed to a sentence of 23 years in prison.
The sentencing hearing is set for January 6, 2022, where District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. will decide whether to accept the plea agreement.
According to court documents, Howard attempted to use 14 different children to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, beginning on or about March 2008 and continuing through April 2016. He used cameras hidden in bathrooms and bedrooms of his residence to capture video footage of the minor victims in nude and semi-nude states.
Howard was arrested by Kazakhstan authorities on September 12, 2019, after learning of the investigation. A Kazakh judge ordered Howard be detained pending an extradition request from the United States. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Howard’s removal from Kazakhstan is the first extradition from that country by the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Joseph H. Harrington said, ‘Production of child pornography is a despicable crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will continue to aggressively prosecute those who exploit children. I commend our state, local and federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case.’
Related Federal Cases
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- Christopher Panagiotou-Scigliano, Production of Child Pornography, … · Idaho
- Jason Christopher Paur, Child Pornography Production, Seattle WA, 2023 · Washington
- Alfredo Mendoza, Production of Child Pornography, WA 2024 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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