Eastern District of Oklahoma | McAlester resident convicted of sexual exploitation of a child

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amanda Lynn Howerton, age 41, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 210 months in prison on one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.

On February 5, 2024, Howerton pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on January 22, 2023, Howerton created a visual representation of the sexual abuse of a child and then sold that image on the Internet.

“The suspect exploited a child’s innocence by taking sexually suggestive photographs for personal financial gain. This is not only an abhorrent violation of the law, but also morally reprehensible and will not be tolerated by the FBI,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “This conviction sends a clear message that the FBI will work tirelessly with our partners to ensure that those who harm children face the consequences.”

“The defendant’s actions – producing and selling child sexual abuse images for personal gain – were despicable and heartless,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “While the sentence handed down will not erase the trauma of such betrayal, it is certainly deserved.”

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Howerton will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-parole sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood uses federal, state, and local resources to locate, arrest, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identify victims and save. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

We encourage anyone who suspects or has information about child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, extortion, child pornography, or any other form of child exploitation to contact law enforcement immediately. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) website at www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-CALL-FBI 800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP.