A man from Deville in Louisiana was arrested by agents with Attorney General Liz Murrill's Louisiana Bureau of Investigation on February 25, 2026.

56-year-old Bobby Wayne Howard II, of Elmus Paul Road in Deville, was arrested in Tampa, Florida, for violating:

• LA R.S.14:81.1 Child sexual abuse materials (Felony) - 2 counts

A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children kickstarted our investigation.

Howard was apprehended in Tampa with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard, United States Customs & Border Protection Air & Marine Operations--Tampa Marine Unit, Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

This arrest was the result of a joint investigation involving the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit.

“It does not matter where you are—if you possess child sexual abuse material or harm our kids, we will find you and bring you back to face Louisiana justice. I’d like to thank our law enforcement partners in Louisiana, Florida, and at the federal level for their assistance in this case," said Attorney General Liz Murrill.

Howard was booked into the Hillsborough County Orient Road Jail and is awaiting extradition to Louisiana.

His bond information is unknown at this time.

Our investigation is ongoing.

*All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.