SPOKANE, Wash – A man found in possession of hundreds of sexually explicit images of children will spend five years in federal prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Washington announced Friday that Nicholas Howard was sentenced to serve five years, then will be supervised for the rest of his life.
Federal prosecutors say Howard had a “long history of viewing child pornography and hid his sexual interest in minors from friends and family for 20 years.”
Prosecutors say Howard was a “senior member” of a website dedicated to child sex abuse images.
The FBI reviewed 179 posts made by Howard where he expressed an interest in kids 7-14 years old and traded images with other members.
The news release said Howard also followed “multiple minor aged females on Instagram to whom he masturbates to.”
Investigators seized Howard’s devices which contained 223 images and 23 videos of child sex abuse.
“Howard also possessed videos of Nazi ideology and violent footage of adult women being hung and strangled,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“For decades, even leading up to right before his arrest, Mr. Howard repeatedly and incessantly harmed dozens of victims by accessing child abuse material,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This digital media is impossible to erase from the internet and depicts these young people at the worst moments of their lives. The FBI and our partners will continue to hold child predators accountable.”
In a sentencing memorandum, Howard’s attorney wrote that Howard has no previous criminal history and is remorseful for his actions.
Howard wrote a letter to the judge, saying in part, “My actions have harmed those I love immensely. They now bear the grief and shame of my crime.”
He pledged to continue sex offender treatment and asked the judge for leniency so he can “hopefully regain a relationship” with his children.
His parents also wrote a letter of support, saying Howard had been living with them while awaiting trial. They said they fear for his safety in prison.
Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca L. Pennell to impose a 12-year sentence, but Judge Pennell went with the defense recommendation of five years instead.
Howard was arrested in May 2025 and initially charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He entered into a plea agreement in June of 2026, after which the possession of child pornography charge was dismissed.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006.
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