Antonia Howard Found Guilty of Multiple Sex Crimes Against Teenagers

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Antonia Howard guilty of two counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation and two counts of Lewd and Lascivious Exhibition against two teenage victims. With the verdict, Howard faces up to 15 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Mark Borello will sentence Howard at a later date.

In April 2023, one of the teenage victims reported Howard committed a lewd act in her presence, which she recorded on her phone, and touched her in a sexual manner while the family was staying with Howard at a motel in Jacksonville. Then in September 2023, the victim’s twin sister told investigators with the Department of Children and Families about numerous incidents in which Howard fondled her on various occasions and committed lewd acts in her presence. In one incident, she said that Howard would touch her over and under her clothes in a sexual way while she slept; his actions would wake her up and she would leave the room to get away from him. During another incident, the victim recorded Howard with her phone, which captured some of his actions. The information was disclosed to investigators after one of the victims attempted suicide.

The victims told law investigators the crimes took place in mid-2023 while their family was displaced and staying with Howard at various motels in Jacksonville.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Catie Messinger and Katherina Brown.