MUNCIE, Ind. — A Delaware Circuit Court has convicted 56-year-old Douglass Howard of child seduction.

According to court papers, Howard was arrested for attempting to convince a juvenile boy to engage in sexual acts with him. The perpetrator was initially arrested on January 16, 2020.

The incident involving Howard and the victim occurred in October 2017 at a storage mobile home beside a property located in the 3700 block of E. Wilson Rd. in Muncie. The victim was 16 years old at the time.

Howard was brought in to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office for further questioning after authorities received a tip from a girl saying she had found sexually explicit text messages on Howard’s phone.

Howard admitted to wanting to be physically close to the victim but denied any sexual wrongdoing when law enforcement confronted Howard about the messages he had exchanged with the minor.

Howard will serve a three-year sentence at the Indiana Department of Correction. The sentence also includes 18 months of supervised probation.

Child seduction is classified as a level-5 felony