SAN JACINTO COUNTY — On June 20, San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputies responded to the Huntsville area on the northwest side of San Jacinto County regarding a report of suspicious activity.
During the initial investigation, deputies spoke with witnesses who shared a residence with the suspect, later identified as Michael Hanna, 51, of Huntsville. The witnesses reported concerns that Hanna may have inappropriate images involving children stored on his computer.
The case was subsequently turned over to detectives with the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division for further investigation. Through the course of that investigation, detectives developed probable cause and obtained a search warrant for the premises and digital devices allegedly possessed by Hanna.
During the early morning hours of Oct. 2, CID detectives, assisted by members of the San Jacinto County Operation Lone Star Task Force, executed the search warrant.
Based on evidence obtained during the investigation and execution of the search warrant, Hanna was arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child pornography. He was subsequently booked into the San Jacinto County Jail.
The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to thoroughly investigating allegations involving the exploitation of children and holding offenders accountable through the criminal justice system.
Anyone who may have information pertaining to this investigation is encouraged to contact the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office at (936) 653-4367 ext. 8 for Detectives.
Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may contact Multi-County Crime Stoppers at (800) 392-7867, visit Multi-County Crime Stoppers, or submit information through the P3 anonymous reporting app.
All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
