Previously convicted North Dakota sex offender sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography

BISMARCK, N.D. — A northwestern North Dakota man, who was convicted in 2009 of possessing child pornography, was sentenced Monday to nearly 13 years in federal prison following his second conviction for the same crime.

This sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Mountrail County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Department.

Timothy Howell, 49, Mountrail County, North Dakota, was sentenced to serve 151 months in prison on one count of possession of materials involving the sexual exploiting minors.

This investigation began when law enforcement agents discovered a computer in North Dakota sharing child pornography in a peer-to-peer network. That computer was later identified as belonging to Howell. After a search warrant was executed at his residence, authorities discovered nearly 9,000 images and videos of child pornography on the computer media that had been seized.

In addition to his 151-month federal prison sentence, Howell was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release, pay $500 in restitution, and also pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Howell was previously convicted of possessing child pornography in December 2009; he was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release.

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 14,000 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 2015, nearly 2,400 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

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. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

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.