A man from Deville, Louisiana, was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on February 25, 2026, by agents with Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. Bobby Wayne Howard II, age 56 and a resident of Elmus Paul Road in Deville, faces two felony counts for violating LA R.S.14:81.1 related to child sexual abuse materials.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a tip. Howard was apprehended in Tampa with support from several agencies including 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.
The arrest resulted from a joint effort among the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit.
Attorney General Liz Murrill stated: “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.”
Howard is currently booked into the Hillsborough County Orient Road Jail while awaiting extradition to Louisiana. Bond information has not been released. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Louisiana Department of Justice serves as the state’s primary legal office under Attorney General Liz Murrill’s leadership and provides statewide services such as consumer protection and legal guidance. The department works to preserve Louisiana’s culture and heritage through legal efforts while protecting constitutional rights for its citizens (https://www.aglizmurrill.com/About). Murrill has led the office with more than three decades of experience in state government and judicial roles (https://www.aglizmurrill.com/About).
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.