Arizona man found with thousands of child pornography images sentenced to prison

PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. — A Pinal County man was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for the distribution of child pornography by a federal court, according to a news release.

The Offices of the United States Attorneys said James Porter, 59, had nearly 4,000 pictures and hundreds of videos of child pornography in his possession, which were found after his computer was pinged by law enforcement in Phoenix. 

“The actions perpetrated by this defendant are reprehensible and will not be tolerated,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge, Rebecca Day. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain resolute in keeping children in our communities safe, and those who prey on children will be pursued, investigated, and held accountable – no matter how long it takes.”

In the release, officials said Porter was detected on a file-sharing network during an FBI investigation from 2016 to 2017. 

Officials said the Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, was part of the case against Porter. The initiative is described by officials as a way to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 

In the release, officials said that when Porter was questioned, he admitted to using specific keywords to find child pornography.

“Every offender in a file sharing network, like BitTorrent used in this case, is able to grow his collection exponentially with a click of the button at the expense of the minors depicted. We are committed to focusing on not only the producers, but on those who participate in distributing and receiving such illegal materials and bring them to justice,” officials said. 

Porter pleaded guilty to another case involving child pornography in October 2025. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere, thanks to the 12News+ app! 

The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 

12News+  showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. 

Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. 

Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.” 

Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app. 

Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.