Former Monroe County official sentenced for child porn

A former Monroe County Chief Deputy Auditor has been sentenced on a child porn charge. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana says that 48-year-old James Hans Huffman, of Bloomington, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for Possession of Child Pornography. Huffman served as the Chief Deputy Auditor for Monroe County from 2017-2018 and Chief Deputy Treasurer for the county from 2009-2017.

Authorities say the case began when the Bloomington Police Department uncovered that Huffman and a 16-year-old male were sending nude pictures and videos to each other via social media. A search warrant executed at Huffman’s home a large collection of child pornography. Huffman’s collection included imagery of toddlers, as well as bestiality. In total, investigators say Huffman’s collection included 230,000 individual child pornography pictures and movies.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting children from predators like Huffman,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler. “Anyone who preys upon a child, no matter what public office they hold, will be held fully accountable under the law.”

This case was jointly investigated by the Southern District of Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Indiana State Police and the Bloomington Police Department.

Huffman will be on supervised release for 10 years following his release from prison. In addition, Huffman was fined $5,000 and will have to register as a sex offender.