Feds Take Over Madison County Child Porn Case

Federal prosecutors have taken over the case of a Madison County grocery store owner accused of producing child pornography.

James Daniel Hannah, 66, was indicted this week on three counts of rape and 25 counts of engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or printed medium. He is also charged with one count of sexual indecency with a child and three counts of internet stalking of a child.

Hannah was arrested Aug. 28 on suspicion of producing pornographic videos and photographs of six females under the age of 16.

Deputies originally were only able to identify four alleged victims, but later tracked down two more. Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigators are still unable to identify three possible victims.

Investigators spent the last two weeks examining more than 2,000 images of child pornography to build a case and identify victims, according to the sheriff’s office.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is prosecuting the case.

Boyd said identifying and locating victims is difficult because many may now be adults and are no longer in the area.

Hannah, who owns the Japton Grocery and Farm Supply store, was arrested after deputies received information from the parents of victims that he was producing child pornography, Boyd said.

Deputies said the case has been under investigation for more than a year.

The incident has been a shock to many in the small community east of Fayetteville.

“Well it`s just so hard to believe, really really hard to believe,” said Nell Harriman.

“It`s a shock to me, it really is. Everybody seemed to like him real well,” said another area resident, Fay Harriman.

Boyd described the Japton store on Arkansas 295 as a “country community store.”

People in the community said Hannah opened the store about five years ago, and it’s the only place to get groceries for miles.

Hannah surrendered without incident when deputies arrived at his residence at the Japton store with a search warrant, Boyd said. The search warrant was signed by Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay, Boyd said.

According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, Hannah faces 50 counts of possessing child pornography, three counts manufacturing child pornography, four counts of rape, three counts of sexual indecency with minors and additional charges.

Deputies seized several laptop computers, boxes of pornographic images of “young nude females,” digital cameras and video tapes, according to the news release.