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	Preacher Guilty in Sex Abuse Crime - Danny Howe, a Familiar Figure in Downtown Portland, Is Sentenced to More Than Five Years in the Rape of a 13-Year-Old Girl By Aimee Green The Oregonian December 7, 2007 http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119700330983500.xml&coll=7 A 32-year-old Portland street preacher known for haranguing passers-by about their souls will spend more than five years in prison for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Danny Alan Howe, a Pioneer Courthouse Square regular who lectured about Jesus, sin and the dangers of alcohol, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree sexual abuse and attempted second-degree rape in a plea deal. The teenage victim was a daughter of Howe's friend and was entrusted to stay with him, said Greg Moawad, the deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case. Although her father couldn't be reached for comment, he told authorities that she has been deeply traumatized by the crimes and has attempted suicide several times. Howe was indicted on charges in the case in February, but police couldn't find him. He'd left his wife and two young daughters behind and was discovered several months later in Arizona. He was extradited to Oregon and booked into jail on $1.5 million bail. Clean shaven and lanky at 6-foot-1 and 140 pounds, Howe dipped his head low and clasped his hands behind his back as Multnomah County Circuit Judge Richard Baldwin asked him for his plea Thursday. "Guilty, your honor," Howe said, in a barely audible voice. That was in stark contrast to Howe's characteristically booming voice. A 2003 feature about Howe in the campus newspaper at Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary reported that people booed him as he shouted his message across Pioneer Courthouse Square. "You're an idiot. Shut up!" and "You probably molest children!" the crowd shouted back. He was twice photographed by The Oregonian wearing a sandwich board asking "Can you escape the wrath of God?" -- once in front of the Multnomah County Building as same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in 2004 and again at a gay-rights rally in Salem in 2005. Howe's crimes have been a tragedy for the 13-year-old girl, but also for all those who knew him, said his mother-in-law, Bonnie DeParrie. DeParrie, who did not attend the sentencing hearing, said her daughter was devastated. The couple had been married for five years, according to court records. "Her focus right now is her two little girls and school," DeParrie said. "She's surrounded by people who love her." The couple met on the streets as they both spread the word of the gospel. Within weeks, they were talking marriage. DeParrie said Howe didn't have a bricks-and-mortar church but conducted Bible studies at the Portland Rescue Mission. On Sundays, he helped cook and serve hearty breakfasts of eggs, pancakes, bacon and even pot roasts in downtown. Howe, who remains in jail and will be bused off to state prison in the next few days, could not be reached for comment. He was sentenced to 65 months and is required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Aimee Green: 503-294-5119; aimeegreen@news.oregonian.com
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