Convicted sex offender tried to buy a child, feds say. He’ll spend 60 years in prison

A convicted sex offender attempted to buy a young girl so he could sexually abuse her just two months after he was released from prison, federal officials said.

The 36-year-old from Alvin will now spend the next 60 years in prison.

In August 2022, Keenan Edward Howe communicated with someone he believed to be a “father with access to minor children,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Southern Texas said in a May 1 news release. The “father” was an undercover FBI agent, officials said.

Within online exchanges, Howe said he had abused children in the past and wanted to “drug and violently sexually abuse the children,” according to officials.

Howe eventually scheduled a meetup with the undercover agent posing as a father, officials said.

Howe was previously convicted of sexually abusing a minor and was released from prison two months before his encounter with the undercover agent, officials said.

He pleaded guilty to distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography in October 2022 and was sentenced May 1.

His attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on May 3.

“In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the egregious nature of Howe’s conduct,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in the news release.

Alvin is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Houston.

Ministry leader used Bible to normalize sexual abuse of blind student, lawsuit says

13-year-old boy killed in barrage of gunfire at 2 a.m., Texas cops say. Three charged

Church ‘did nothing’ to keep teens safe from pastor’s sexual abuse, Texas lawsuit says