Repeat child sex predator sentenced to 60 years

GALVESTON, Texas - A 36-year-old Alvin resident has been ordered to federal prison for distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Keenan Edward Howe pleaded guilty Oct. 24, 2022.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown has now sentenced Howe to 300 months each for the distribution and receipt convictions in addition to 120 months for possession of child pornography, respectively. They will run consecutively for a total 720-month-term of imprisonment. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the egregious nature of Howe's conduct. He will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Howe will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. In handing down the sentence, Judge Brown reiterated the need for Howe's sentence to reflect the offensive nature of his conduct.

In August 2022, authorities identified Howe through an undercover online investigation in which Howe communicated with someone he believed to be a father with access to minor children. Throughout the conversation, Howe expressed his desire to drug and violently sexually abuse the children. He also discussed purchasing the younger minor child for the purpose of sexually abusing her.

Further communication revealed Howe also admitted to sexually abusing multiple minor victims. Law enforcement subsequently arrested Howe prior to a scheduled meeting with the "father."

Two months before the conversations, Howe was previously released from prison for offenses involving the sexual abuse of a minor.

Howe will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ's PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.