James Owen Hagins, Child Pornography Distribution, North Carolina 2024

A Smithfield man has been sentenced to 235 months in prison for distributing child pornography.

Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox handed down the sentence to James Owen Hagins, 44, who had previously admitted to exchanging images of child pornography with multiple individuals he met in a chat room.

Hagins was initially questioned by agents with the U.S. Marshal’s Service in July 2015 regarding his relationship with an individual under investigation in Tennessee for kidnapping and sexual abuse of a minor female. Hagins is a registered sex offender who had been convicted previously of Indecent Liberties with a Child and Third Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Johnston County in 1995 and 2004, respectively.

During the investigation, Hagins admitted to exchanging images of child pornography for several months and meeting the suspect in a chat room. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant on Hagins’ home in Smithfield and seized a computer, multiple cell phones, and multiple media storage devices.

Forensic examination of these devices uncovered more than 2,000 images and 487 videos of child pornography. Hagins pleaded guilty to the Distribution of Child Pornography charge on November 30, 2015. The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshal’s Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted. Hagins will serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes represented the government in this case. The investigation revealed that Hagins had been in contact with the suspect in Tennessee and had been exchanging images of child pornography with multiple individuals.

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting our children from exploitation. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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