Cattaraugus County man arrested for rape found to have illegal firearms

A Cattaraugus County man who was arrested for rape was found to have illegal firearms, according to New York State police.

According to state police, 57-year-old Ronald A. Howard of South Dayton was arrested on Monday on several charges including:

• Second-degree rape
• Second-degree criminal sexual act
• First-degree disseminating indecent material to a minor
• Second-degree possession of a weapon
• Third-degree criminal possession of a weapon
• Registration and serialization of firearms, rifles, shotguns, finished frames or receivers, and unfinished frames or receivers
• Manufacture, transport, disposition and defacement of weapons and dangerous instruments and appliances
• Unlawful purchase of body armor
• Endangering the welfare of a child

Howard is accused of exchanging indecent material with a child and having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old female victim in Niagara County.
Police said when Howard was arrested for the rape and other sex crime-related charges, a search warrant was executed in South Dayton and he was allegedly in possession of:

• Five handguns without serial numbers
• Two assault rifles without a serial number — one had a silencer
• Two assault rifle receivers without serial numbers
• Multiple large-capacity magazines
• Two ballistic vests

He was processed and is being held at Niagara County Jail for arraignment.