ONLINE ONLY: Villisca man arrested for child pornography

A Villisca man was arrested Tuesday for possession of child pornography and other related charges.

James McDaniel, 60, has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography and dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to a minor following a tip to the Nashville, Tenn, police department.

According to Montgomery County Sheriff Joe Sampson, the Nashville department received a tip regarding inappropriate chat room activity involving McDaniel. The case information was then sent to the local sheriff’s office.

Sampson said it was a difficult case that involved a lot of man-hours over a three-month period.

Three separate search warrants were required to gain access to McDaniel’s entire computer.

According to Sampson, McDaniel made inappropriate contact to minors of various ages across the country through multiple means of electronic communication.

There were no victims locally.

Prior to his arrest, McDaniel did not have a criminal record.

“This was just one of those things that’s been going on for a while unbeknownst to anyone locally,” Sampson said. “Without this tip, he would not have been caught.”

McDaniel is currently being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $10,000 bond.

He could be tried federally because the charges cross state lines, which Sampson said would be ideal, but the process is long.

“It’s a horrendous crime,” Sampson said. “If anything though, it’s a blessing no one in our area was affected. This should serve as a reminder to parents and caregivers to keep an eye on what kids are doing on the Internet.”