Great Lakes Wire

A Holland man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. The sentencing follows an investigation that began in November 2024, when a woman called 911 upon discovering that Darian Howard, age 25, had taken sexually explicit photographs of her three-year-old daughter.

Authorities determined that Howard had produced sexually explicit images involving two three-year-old girls and recorded a video depicting the sexual assault of one of the minors. He was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child and entered a guilty plea to one count in May 2025.

“My office takes very seriously its obligation to protect vulnerable victims, and children this young are among the most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey for the Western District of Michigan. “Child exploitation is one of the most troubling crimes we prosecute and we work diligently to secure justice and appropriate sentences for predators.”

Kris Haglund, Captain of Criminal Investigations for Holland Department of Public Safety, stated: “One of the Holland Department of Public Safety’s primary goals is to make the Holland Community safe from criminal activity. By partnering with the FBI and Children’s Advocacy Center we are pleased with the conclusion of this case. Without these partnerships, this case would not have had the result it did. We hope that the families who were impacted by this incident can have a sense of closure because of this prosecution.”

Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Detroit Field Office, commented: “The indictment of Darian Howard reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice against those alleged to exploit the most vulnerable members in our community. The alleged actions are disturbing and will not be tolerated. I want to thank the dedicated members of our FBI Grand Rapids Resident Agency, including the West Michigan-based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX), Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Holland Police Department for their diligent work. The FBI will remain steadfast in pursuing those who target our children and work to hold alleged predators accountable under federal law.”

The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including Holland Department of Public Safety, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa Al-Howaishy prosecuted the case.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative aimed at protecting children from online exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, tribal, local law enforcement agencies as well as prosecutors’ offices and specialized task forces such as Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC). Project Safe Childhood also provides educational resources about online child exploitation risks; more information is available at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Individuals with concerns or information regarding possible child exploitation are encouraged to contact local law enforcement officials.