ICE Denver special agents crack down on men traveling to Colorado to have sex with children
DENVER — Special agents from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested two men last week in separate cases who traveled to Colorado to have sex with children. In yet another case, a third individual pleaded guilty Tuesday to the same crime. All three are held in custody.
Brian Franklin Howard, 37, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was arrested April 2 at Denver International Airport (DIA) by HSI and the Denver Police Department after he flew to Colorado to have sex with children.
Howard initially came into contact with an undercover HSI special agent online. The special agent was using the persona of a single mother of two children, ages 10 and 14. During this communication, Howard took photos of his penis and sent them to the single-mother persona indicating that he would like her to show the photos to her daughters. He then arranged to meet her and her children in Denver. He flew from Las Vegas to Denver, where he was met by a special agent acting in an undercover capacity at DIA. Once he confirmed his intent to have sex with the children he was arrested. Howard faces one count of aggravated sexual abuse with children (with a penalty of not less than 30 years and up to life in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine), two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct (with a penalty of not more than 30 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine), and two counts of attempted coercion and enticement (with a penalty of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine). Howard is scheduled to have a detention hearing April 8.
In a separate case, Matthew Hornung, 33, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was arrested by HSI and the Colorado State Patrol March 28 after driving to Colorado to have sex with children. Hornung also met an undercover special agent online. The HSI special agent was using the single-mother persona, saying she had two children aged 10 and 14. The defendant, intent on meeting the single mother and her two children, drove from Pennsylvania to Colorado. Hornung made it to Colorado, although his vehicle started to fail before he reached Greeley. He was arrested by HSI and the Colorado Highway Patrol after he approached the marked CSP car for assistance. Hornung faces one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct (with a penalty of not more than 30 years in federal prison, and up to a $250,000 fine). He has been ordered held without bond pending a resolution of his case.
In a third similar case, Darwin Gowen, 62, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty March 31 before U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson, to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct (the penalty of which is not more than 30 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine). Gowen also met an HSI special agent online, using the persona of a single mother with young children. He traveled from Missouri to Denver by plane, where he was arrested by HSI at DIA after confirming his intent to have sex with children, ages 11 and 15. Gowen is in federal custody pending sentencing.
“Preventing the sexual abuse of children is a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh, District of Colorado. “These cases should demonstrate to those who plan to travel from other states to Colorado in hopes of sexually exploiting children that there will be immediate and severe criminal consequences.”
“The sexual exploitation of children by predators has reached epidemic proportions nationally and internationally,” said David A. Thompson, special agent in charge of HSI Denver. “Targeting these predators through the tireless efforts by our HSI special agents has been a high priority for more than a decade. These cases demonstrate how every parent must remain vigilant to Internet predators who may pose in various disguises to meet and ultimately sexually exploit children.”
These cases were investigated by HSI with support from the Colorado State Patrol and the Denver Police Department.
Howard and Gowen are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alecia Riewerts. Hornung is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Gibson.
Howard and Hornung have been charged by Criminal Complaint. Anyone accused of committing a felony violation of federal law has a Constitutional right to be indicted by a grand jury. Both of those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Gowen has pleaded guilty.
This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.
For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.
HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.
Updated: