September 6th, 2026 Local News
Cape Girardeau, Mo. (KFMO) - A 21-year-old Bollinger County man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for using threats to coerce two 13-year-old girls into sending him nude images.
Terry Michael Howard, of Marble Hill, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau. He pleaded guilty in May to one count of enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, Howard communicated with the two victims through Snapchat in December 2024, when he was 19 years old. Howard knew both girls but allegedly pretended to be someone else online. He claimed to be the father of a 13-year-old boy the victims knew and threatened to hurt or kill the boy if they did not send him sexually explicit material.
The Bollinger County Sheriff's Office received a report about the allegations in January 2025 and launched an investigation. Howard ultimately confessed to investigators. The FBI also located records of the Snapchat conversations, including Howard's threats against the girls.
Howard told investigators he initially carried out the scheme as a joke but stopped after realizing the girls were frightened.
Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Weston of the FBI St. Louis Division praised the two victims for coming forward.
Weston said Howard knew the minors but used a false identity online and threatened to harm another juvenile to obtain sexually explicit images.
The FBI official also commended the girls for their actions, noting that despite being victims of sexual exploitation, they contacted 911 because they were concerned another child could be harmed.
Following his release from prison, Howard will be placed on 20 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.