A federal judge in New Bern sentenced a Virginia man to 174 months in federal prison after he met a minor on Snapchat and manipulated her into sexual activity. On May 7, 2025, David Anthony Howard, II, age 27, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle said, “Criminals who use apps like Snapchat to target and exploit our children are some of the worst offenders we face. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the federal law down against anyone who preys on minors. Parents deserve to know we are doing everything possible to keep their kids safe.”
Many experts assert that young people who use social media platforms are vulnerable to predators such as the case involving the Vance County teen. A new law in Australia went into effect today that prohibits young people under the age of 16 from having their own social media accounts. A press release issued in July about the new law stated, “Delaying access to social media, including YouTube, until the age of 16 will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them three more years to build real world connections and online resilience.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in April 2023, a Vance County mother reported that her 15-year-old daughter was missing and possibly being held by an adult male. The FBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Dinwiddie County, VA Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police determined that the minor was in Virginia with Howard at his residence. Further investigation revealed that Howard met the minor on Snapchat and manipulated her into a romantic and sexual relationship, traveling repeatedly from Virginia to her home in North Carolina to engage in sexual acts with her. He also enticed her to provide sexual images and videos. Finally, on the night of April 22, 2023, Howard tricked her to sneak out of her house and go to his home in Virginia. He kept her at his residence, continuing to sexually exploit her, until law enforcement recovered her five days later.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Blondel, Sarah Nokes, and Ashley Foxx prosecuted the case, and the FBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Dinwiddie County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
