West Michigan man sentenced to 25 years for sexual exploitation of child
A Holland, Michigan, man will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting young children, U.S. attorneys announced.
Darian Howard, 25, was sentenced this week to 25 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors say that in November 2024, a woman reported to police that Howard had taken sexually explicit photos of her 3-year-old daughter. Investigators found that Howard had allegedly taken sexually explicit pictures of two 3-year-old girls and had a video that depicted him sexually assaulting one of the children.
Howard pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a child in May 2025.
"My office takes very seriously its obligation to protect vulnerable victims, and children this young are among the most vulnerable," said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey. "Child exploitation is one of the most troubling crimes we prosecute and we work diligently to secure justice and appropriate sentences for predators."
The Holland Department of Public Safety, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office and the FBI investigated Howard's case.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at protecting children from online exploitation and abuse.