CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A Canyon County man was recently sentenced to serve up to 25 years in prison after being convicted of two counts of possessing child pornography as well as one count of possession of AI-generated child pornography, reports the Attorney General's office.
Canyon County District Court Judge Gabriel McCarthy delivered the sentence.
Back in October of 2024, investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit received a tip that 27-year-old James Anthony Halma had child pornography tied to his account on the Kik messaging app. Law enforcement later obtained a search warrant for Halma's digital devices, which they seized.
Forensic investigators later uncovered approximately 100 files containing child pornography on Halma's phone. Those files included graphic material of children as young as 3-years-old.
“Every arrest and conviction our team gets in these deeply disturbing cases helps make Idaho communities safer,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “I’m proud of the continued work by our ICAC investigators, prosecutors, and local law enforcement partners across the state who help in our mission to protect Idaho families and hold these criminals accountable.”
Barring any additional convictions, Halma will be eligible for parole after three years in prison. Per Idaho law, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
The investigation into Halma was led by Lauren Lane, ICAC commander. Nampa Police, the Canyon County Sheriff's Office, and the Meridian Police Department assisted in the investigation.
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