State Attorney Monique Worrell’s Statement on the Cases Against Fredrick Howard
ORANGE COUNTY, FL (June 15, 2023) — On June 12, 2023, Fredrick Howard was arrested for Attempted Sexual Battery, Burglary of a Dwelling, False Imprisonment and Battery. The maximum prison sentence if Mr. Howard is convicted as charged is twenty-six years in the Department of Corrections. There have been several questions from the community regarding why Mr. Howard was not in custody at the time this offense was committed. Mr. Howard was arrested on May 4, 2023, and charged with carjacking. The State Attorney’s Office worked diligently to make contact with the alleged victim over the thirty-three days following his arrest. Because we were unable to locate the victim, we were unable to move forward with the charges against Mr. Howard in time to contest his Motion for Release on his own Recognizance in good faith. Accordingly, Mr. Howard’s motion was granted by the court, and he was released from custody on June 6, 2023, prior to being rearrested on the aforementioned charges on June 12, 2023.
It has been inaccurately reported that Mr. Howard is a “High Risk Registered Sex Offender”. That information is incorrect and has been verified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that Mr. Howard is not a registered sex offender. Nevertheless, that does not negate the seriousness of Mr. Howard’s current charges as well as his lengthy history of incarceration dating back to 1985. These factors will be taken into consideration by the State Attorney’s Office as decisions are made regarding the filing and resolutions of his current charges.
The State Attorney’s Office’s Victim Advocate has been in contact with the victim in the new case and has scheduled a meeting. As in every case, The State Attorney’s Office is committed to doing everything possible to support the victim through this difficult time and bring justice to this community.
The State Attorney’s Office will follow the law in every single case. We do not release people, nor do we incarcerate people. We only follow in the process of prosecuting those accused of crimes. One of the most vital components to a successful prosecution often lies with the cooperation from the victims and witnesses. Without their participation, a positive disposition of the case will, in most cases, be impossible.
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The Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit is represented by The Honorable Monique H. Worrell and serves Orange and Osceola counties in Central Florida. A culturally diverse community, the area is home to over 1.9 million residents and is a vacation destination for millions each year. Our office is committed to making Orlando and the surrounding area a vibrant and safe place to live, work and play.
For general media inquiries, please contact: PIO@sao9.org.
For media records request, please contact: mediarecordsrequest@sao9.org.
For specific media inquiries pertaining to State Attorney Monique Worrell, please contact Keisha Mulfort at kmulfort@sao9.org.
