Cops: Drunk Family Friend Rapes Young Girl

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Ricky Howard's been in and out of correctional facilities throughout his life. He faces a lengthy prison stay for the alleged rape he committed in 1999.

For over a decade, cops in Jefferson County, Wisc. have been on the hunt for Ricky Howard -- a career criminal who they say committed a dispicable act against a young girl while he himself was severely intoxicated.

Cops say that in the early morning hours of December 4, 1999, Howard, drunk and desperate, climbed through a mobile home's window. But it wasn't just any random window -- it was the window to a bedroom occupied by a sleeping 12-year-old girl.

Howard knew the girl's family well, and had been hanging out with them the night before. But no one in that household could ever have predicted what cops say Howard was about to do to their beloved daughter.

According to the police report, Howard first tried to get the girl to come with him.  But the pre-teen tried to dodge Howard's advances by pulling the bed sheets over her head and wishing away the nightmare that was about to transpire.

But the nightmare was real, and cops say Howard proceeded to violently rape the girl.  To make matters worse, before he left, police tell us that Howard threatened to rape her yet again if she opened her mouth and reported him to police.

The brave 12-year-old didn't comply, and sought justice by reporting the incident to the local police. After their investigation was complete, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Howard in March 2000.

Ricky Howard: A Lifetime Of Trouble

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Ricky Howard has been known to wear distinct hair styles such as the one pictured here.

This alleged rape was not Ricky Howard’s first run-in with the law. In fact, police say, Howard has had a string of arrests and jail stays stemming back to the days of his youth.

Howard spent much of his adolescence getting into trouble for theft, disorderly conduct and underage drinking, to name a few.

Ricky was first placed in prison in 1988, after cops say he took part in the robbery of a Fort Atkinson, Wisc. fast food restaurant in November 1987.

Upon his release, Ricky remained an outlaw, as he was charged with one parole violation after another, jumping in and out of prisons until 1999, when cops say he committed his most brutal crime of all.

Howard Runs From Justice

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Ricky Howard may wear eyeglasses.

When Howard found out the police were looking to arrest him for the 1999 rape, he hit the road. Cops have been searching high and low for him ever since, but their efforts have been fruitless.

Howard has family in Wisconsin, so there is a possibility he may still be hiding out with them.  He may also be seeking refuge in Texas, though based on his criminal past, cops suspected he would have gotten into trouble at some point since 1999.

His lack of any criminal activity in the time that's passed makes cops highly suspicious and curiously concerned.

Where has Ricky Howard gone?  How could someone so inherently prone to committing illegal acts just... stop?

Trouble doesn't just follow Ricky Howard.  Trouble is Ricky Howard.

If you have any information regarding Ricky Howard, please call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.