VALDOSTA — A Valdosta man faces nearly three decades in prison after his conviction on a charge of coercing and enticing a minor in 2020.
Dewayne Howell, 50, was sentenced to 27 years in prison followed by 12 years of supervised release following his conviction Feb. 6 in federal court, a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice said.
He also was ordered to pay $4,050 in restitution to a minor victim and will have to register as a child sex offender when he is released from prison, the justice department said. Howell and another man picked up two sisters, one age 13 and the other 16, near their home on Oct. 2, 2020. They went to a liquor store, where Howell bought alcohol, and then went to a Valdosta hotel where he sexually abused the 13-year-old, the statement said.
The two adults gave the girls alcohol before taking them home, the justice department said. The case was investigated by the Valdosta Police Department and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.