Japton man, 66, pleads guilty to producing child porn

James Hanna, 66, of Japton pleaded guilty Monday to producing child pornography, admitting he produced sexually explicit photos of two 13- year- old girls, according to a news release.

U.S. District Court Judge Jimm Larry Hendren accepted Hanna’s plea. The Madison County man faces up to 60 years in prison for his crimes, according to a news release from Conner Eldridge, U. S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.

A parent contacted the Madison County sheriff ’s office in August with information that Hanna had sexually assaulted two 13-yearold girls.

The sheriff’s office interviewed the girls and learned that Hanna had been taking sexually explicit photos of them at his home. The sheriff ’s office obtained a search warrant for Hanna’s residence and confiscated several computers, digital cameras and digital-storage devices.

Hanna was arrested in late August on multiple felony counts of rape and possessing and manufacturing child pornography, among other charges.

He was charged with four counts of rape, three counts of manufacturing child pornography, three counts of sexual indecency with minors and 50 counts of possession of child pornography.

Russell Alberts, a Madison County sheriff ’s deputy, said in September that some of the charges would be handled in state court, while other charges would be handled in federal court.

At the time of his arrest, Hanna was the owner of the Japton Store on Arkansas 295 near the Madison County community of Wesley.

The case was investigated by the sheriff’s office, as well as Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U. S. Attorney Dustin Roberts.