Deming Man Gets 13 Years in Jail for Disturbing Digital Hoard

In a truly shocking case out of Deming, Washington, Robert J. Howell Jr. has been sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison for possessing an overwhelming stash of child sexual abuse material. Convicted in April, Howell Jr. was found with more than 90,000 files at his home, making it clear that he was not just a casual browser but a digital hoarder of unspeakable content. And if he thought he could escape consequences, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour made it crystal clear that he’d be spending a good chunk of time locked away.

The gained notoriety didn’t come without a painstaking investigation; authorities got wind of Howell Jr. when a foreign police agency alerted Homeland Security Investigations about suspicious online activity linked to his IP address. This just shows that you never know who’s watching—think twice before diving deep into those internet rabbit holes! Howell Jr. will also have 20 years of supervised release upon his eventual exit from prison, plus a hefty restitution charge of $141,000 to 47 victims. Talk about a hefty price to pay for some seriously bad browsing choices!

On the brighter side, this case underscores the relentless efforts of law enforcement in tackling child exploitation. As they say, there’s no escaping justice. Now, I can’t help but wonder—what in the world makes someone think that kind of behavior is acceptable? Isn’t it time we all had a conversation about how to keep our online spaces safe?

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