Macon, Bibb County, GA (September 15, 2026) - The GBI has arrested and charged Scott Howard, age 42, of Macon, GA, with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children and one count of Second-Degree Cruelty to Children, and Sally Howard, age 37, of Macon, GA, with one count of Second-Degree Cruelty to Children.

In April of 2026, the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes (CEACC) Unit began a proactive investigation into the online possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. This investigation led to a home in Macon, GA. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home, leading to the arrests of Scott and Sally Howard.

Scott and Sally Howard were arrested on September 14, 2026, and booked into the Bibb County Jail.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI Special Operations Unit, and additional members from the Georgia ICAC Task Force assisted with this investigation.

This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, housed within the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, to identify those involved in the trade of child sexual abuse material. The ICAC Program, created by the U.S. Department of Justice, was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Anyone with information about other cases of child exploitation is asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation CEACC Unit at 404-270-8870 or submit a tip via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at Cybertipline.org. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.