A Howard man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for production of child pornography. 26-year old Lee James Thames pled not guilty to the indictment, which states that in March and April of 2021, Thames knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, knowing that such depictions would be distributed. Thames faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison if convicted. A trial date was set for March 22nd.