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What's the youngest age child that you've seen engage in some type of that? >> Um like infant child, like young. >> A badge should stand for protection, but for one probationary officer in Neenah, Wisconsin, it was just a mask. March 25th, 2024. Owen Halls joined the Neenah Police Department presenting himself as a law-abiding officer. But behind the uniform and encrypted messaging apps, investigators say he was living a dark double life. The fall of Owen Halls didn't begin with a chase or shootout, but with a quiet cyber tip, a digital breadcrumb that led the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force straight to a fellow officer's front door. What they found inside his digital devices wasn't just a lapse in judgment. It was a betrayal of the very oath he took to protect the community. >> Police Department, search warrant, come to the door. Open door. Police Department, search warrant, open the door. Police with a search warrant, open the door. >> Park at someone else's. What are we at? >> Police Department, we have a search warrant, open the door. Apartment number 12. Police, search warrant. Police, SEARCH WARRANT, APARTMENT NUMBER 12. OPEN THE DOOR. DO IT NOW. POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH A SEARCH WARRANT, APARTMENT NUMBER 12. Open the door. Do it now. Police Department with a search warrant, apartment number open the door. Police department, search warrant, apartment 12, open the door, do it now. >> You guys are coming in and I'll stay out and just in case 11 comes out. >> Yep, 11 should be vacant or taken. Should be in >> Police search warrant, open the door yourself. Police department, search warrant. >> I think the dog might be in the bathroom. >> Apartment 12, open the door yourself. >> We got Who we got with us? >> Three. >> All right, you two take them. >> Police department, search warrant. >> We just need to talk to you for a little while, okay? >> Okay. >> About an investigation that we have. These guys are going to talk you through a couple of things and we'll get you going in the right direction, okay? >> Okay. >> All right. So, just we want your compliance. Can you switch your hands out to the side? Perfect. Excellent. >> So, I know I know you have a lot a lot of questions, but but just for you know >> Okay, how do we how do we secure this for your safety, for our safety? Um >> We are going to explain it all here in a minute, buddy, all right? >> Yeah. >> You know all this >> Um >> probably Who's in the >> We know that, but we just got protocol that we got to follow, okay? >> If you say keep us safe. Seems like I'm getting arrested and losing my job and everything at home, so there's a lot of things going on right now. Plus the reputation here with my work and income. So we're just going to try to keep that as quiet as possible. Well, don't give us too much to see here, buddy. Am I going to need a lawyer, guys? >> All right, thanks. >> No, are they coming, Corey? >> They're coming. >> Now? >> First something changed in the plan. The plan was that you'll stay in the van until something else happens, so it's not >> Is this my >> Right now am I going to be able to drive home? >> Honestly, and so again, you probably understand a lot more of this than than most people do. >> After taking Owen Halls into custody, investigators then interviewed his mother and stepfather seeking further context as the case against the rookie officer continued to unfold. >> Um, this specific investigation had to do with some inappropriate internet activity. Um, so just knowing that, and obviously since our agency handled the investigation, um, the initial tip that came to our agency, um, came from like a I'll just use the word like a federal um, entity called NCMEC and and ICAC. NCMEC stands for the National Center for Missing and Exploiting Exploited Children, and um, ICAC stands for Internet Crimes Against Children. Um, there's federal policies that are in place that certain any like company that's on the online, any social media, any internet communication um, entity has to report certain things um, to the government. And then those tips kind of get weeded out, um, and then we investigate to figure out where where it's coming to, um, and the tip specifically came back to to your address. Okay? So just before I really get into to how things shook out and where where everything's at, um, who who is your internet provider at at home? >> Spectrum, and then who's like whose name is it in? >> Uh it might be in my ex-husband's name. >> And who's that? >> Craig Knowles. >> Craig. Do you know like what email, if there was an email associated with that account? >> No, I don't have any idea. >> And he doesn't live there now? >> No, he hasn't lived there for like 5 years. >> Craig Knowles, Craig? >> Yeah. >> Yeah, and the one doesn't live there either though. >> Correct. Um and I and I can kind of go down that avenue now. >> one thing to be sure of things. >> Um and I guess what about like cell phones in the house? And I know that so you know that Owen lived um at home through like pretty much through summers at about Correct? Or when when do you >> I don't remember that either. I don't >> It'll be 6 months for sure, I would think. >> Yeah. >> So late summer, early fall. >> accurate. >> Okay. When he lived with you, was he like on your cell phone plan? Did you guys have separate Do you >> Yeah, we were on the same one. >> On the same one? Who was that through? >> Um T-Mobile. >> T-Mobile. And is that were you still using >> Mhm. >> So did he just drop off of that plan? >> Mhm. >> Do you know what kind of cell phone he had? >> No. >> No. Do you know like if it was an Apple or an Android or a Google or Do you have any idea? >> I would assume I would assume an Apple, but I don't >> Okay. And do you know what kind of phone if it's a different phone, do you know what type of phone you had? About during that like last summer, is it the same phone that you have now? >> That I have, yeah. >> Do you know what kind of phone that is? >> Mine is Apple. >> Do you know what model? >> I don't >> There's a kind of trick to do You don't even have to take that off. So if you go in into like your settings, so if you go into like that gear and then go to general and then at the very top it should say like about. >> About? >> Yeah, click on that and then it'll say what your model. >> Uh 12. >> 12? 12 Pro or the >> 12 Pro Max. >> 12 Pro Max. Um and then I'm aware that that you have another son, Evan. Does he still live at home with you? Is he Do you know where does he still on your [music] on your T-Mobile plan? Does he Do you know what he uses? >> I don't know. >> Do you know what kind of phone he has? Okay. Um Do you know what and not to send you to but just in case you do, do you know anything about Owen's like social media use, email addresses that he has? >> No. I mean, I I try to have his email but I don't know um anything about him. >> Um He was you know booked in on on two counts of possession of child pornography. Um the investigation's continuing um and then as far as the bond goes, so he was booked in today. Um typically speaking, um we usually say he'll likely see a judge the next day, especially with it's later in the day. With a case like this with a lot of information, a lot of reports, a lot of technical information, um I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't see a judge until Friday. >> When detectives interviewed Owen Halls, he appeared evasive and uncertain. As questions turned toward his social media activity and online presence. >> I don't look at my Snapchat name or whatever. >> Well, that's okay. What about other social media accounts? >> I have a Twitter account or X, whatever. >> So, obviously you're much much younger than I am, so people your age probably have a lot more social media accounts than I may have, so what I've heard of people having like about like a Reddit account. Do you have a Reddit account? >> I might. It would probably be And I don't you've been on it. >> Okay, but is that on your phone or what? >> Yeah, I don't know if I've made any account to watch that. Um I don't know what the username would be. >> Okay. >> But I apologize. >> And I'm just throwing stuff out there so that when we look at your phone a little later, it kind of confirms what you're telling us here so we know what we're looking for. So other popular apps might be like Discord. >> I don't think so. I might have had it installed for like a day or two and then >> Would that be on your new phone? >> No. It would have been installed on that phone but it wouldn't be >> You haven't used it at all? >> No. >> Okay. >> No. Like Discord and I think or like Reddit. Um >> [clears throat] >> Like do a Google search for something and Reddit does reviews so it would be on there. >> Okay. Um I'm trying to think of some other Telegram. >> Yeah. >> Do you have a Telegram account? >> Yeah. >> Tell me about that. >> Um I don't know the username. I think it's under my email or phone number. >> Okay. >> Um Yeah. >> What do you use that account for? >> Probably stuff I shouldn't. >> Okay. >> Um I just honestly here Um It's used to keep pictures of females that are not my girlfriend. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. >> Um I saw the the ICAC thing on your phone there so Um I assume it's in relation to that. >> Yeah, and I can fill you in on that. Um since you were asking so it it has to do with the electronics and phones and internet activity. Okay. I think we both know you know what some of this is about but it has to do with your online activity. Okay. So we're trying to get to the bottom of it just to make sure there's um we're on the same page. If you have some type of explanation or reasoning or rationale about it you know like some of my concerns is the reason that we get involved in this is um you know like make sure that these things there's not production cases, extortion, >> Right. >> you know, exploiting kids, stuff like that. >> Yeah, I I I mean >> If If there's like things that are on your phone that's just merely just images or videos, >> Yeah. [snorts] >> that's one thing, but my major focus here is one of my main main concerns is that this isn't being produced somewhere, you have access to kids, you're selling stuff, getting them victimized, >> No, no, no. >> things like that. Okay. >> Um >> So, with that being said is >> I think we're on the same page and we can fill in some of the details on how we got to this point, but >> If If there's stuff that's on your phone that you like you just acknowledged that probably should you shouldn't have, let's just get that out of the way and then we'll slowly just chip away at at how we got to this point here. >> Yeah, there's nothing like nothing inherently I know that is like in I guess child >> Okay. >> Right? Like if I I I hate this is being recorded and probably open records for my girlfriend to look at it that, but that's least of the concerns now. >> Um >> We're just trying to get to the bottom of this and answer some questions and then kind of fill in some of these gaps. >> I I know it's >> I'm not going to be telling your girlfriend any of this stuff, so that's going to be a conversation that you may have with her at some point. >> Yeah, and >> But you understand what some of the concerns are when we deal with kids. >> I I I understand. >> And with ICAC, the Internet Crimes Against Children is for me, that's one of my major concerns. >> Oh, yeah. >> Um But we come across other cases as well. We want to make sure that kids like locally aren't being victimized, sexploited, exploited, things like that. >> Yeah. >> Um >> But I don't think we're dealing with that type of situation here. >> No. >> It might just be It sounds like it might just be It might look at some stuff, review some stuff, share some stuff. >> So, I personally like I don't want to make make a good face here, but like the kids and whatnot, I don't like that's a concern for me, too. >> Okay. >> Um so, I'm sure you guys are well aware of kind of what's been going on. Um so, well, there's >> I I haven't been making any assumptions here, and I'm not here to judge anything. So, like, this is the first time I've met you. >> Yeah. >> Um the only thing that I or I think Lucas knows is just what we've been provided by some of these social media comments. So, it's our job to follow up and try to get to the bottom of this and make sure that this stops and that >> Also, this has been [clears throat] >> um escalated to like the next level here. >> No. Um >> So, when you refer to like what's, you know, I'm sure you know what's going on, what is that referring to? >> Um So, like, if you It's a website called Mega. >> Okay. >> And they have links that people have created on there. >> Mhm. >> Um and on those links, there's different like graphic videos and pictures and whatnot. >> Mhm. >> Um and then, I know there's links out there that are of underage people. >> Mhm. >> And I'm not going to lie, like, when you get sent the link, I'm probably going to get myself in a load of crap here, but when you get the link, it doesn't say what's on it. So, if you search it, you don't know what's going to be next. >> Okay. >> So, like, when I do that, if I go to search it and then see like the underage, like, close out of it and move on. I don't report it. I don't do anything. I probably should. >> Okay. >> But, I I don't report it or anything. >> Okay. >> Um I just close out of it and don't go back in. >> Okay. >> Um cuz I know we're on kind of different wavelengths here, but the kids and stuff is a concern of mine, too. It's not something I like Like, I don't like seeing kids like that. >> Sure. >> Um so I try to keep everything like at a legal >> Okay. >> legal age. >> Sure. >> Um >> So I'm a little familiar familiar with Mega and I'm and I'm familiar with what you're referencing as the links. So you receive links or you search links on Mega, you click on them. >> Mhm. >> And what type of content are you looking for when you're searching for these links? >> it's probably going to sound messed up, but like I guess when I'm looking for something it's stuff that's not like easily accessible, I guess. >> Okay. >> Like not your normal Google search on whatever website. >> Okay. >> Um >> So what would be an example of a search term that you type in? >> So I I guess I don't type it in, but like um I don't know. I guess it's probably weird, but nothing I haven't heard. It's like out in public. Like at a beach or something. >> Okay. >> Like something like that, I guess. >> Okay. >> Um And then I get it. Like the links will have like that on it. >> Okay. They'll have what on it? >> Like that. People on a beach having intercourse. >> Okay. We're talking about >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Um So I guess like with I guess with that like if say I'm looking for that and then this link is there and you go to hit search. Excuse me. Um And then like it might be a underage video. So then if I would see that I would click out of it. >> Okay. >> Um just kind of I'm not paying any attention to it. >> When you talk about underage videos, so we're on the same page. I'm I'm hearing you correctly. years. you're talking about maybe a child that's engaged in a sex act or that's with other clothes on. >> Mhm. >> In a provocative position. >> Yeah, I I it's not intentional. >> Sure. So, you've seen some of those on those links. >> Unfortunately, yeah. >> Okay. When's the last time you've seen something like that in those links? >> Oh, I don't know. It's been quite some time. I haven't really been using >> Like within the last week or two? >> Probably within two. >> Within two weeks? >> Two or so, yeah. >> And are you using your phone? >> Yeah. >> Um is that the phone that's on you? >> Yeah. >> Okay. What about your phone at the apartment? No, just your phone. Okay. And when you're scrolling through and watching some of this stuff, you might come across kids that are engaged in like explicit conduct or kids with other clothes on. What I mean by kids is people under the age of 18, right? And when you see images like that, what do you do with those or what You said you clicked out. >> Yeah. >> You close them out or you go to the next one. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Now, it's my understanding and this is my assumption of some of this is that when you click on a link for a photo, you're going to get all a lot of the same content, all right? If it's going to be sun on a beach, it's probably going to be a lot of sun on the beach, right? Or not? >> For the most part, yeah. >> Okay. >> But you don't know what's on the link until you are into it. >> Okay. And you said you clicked on some of these links within the last two weeks. >> Yeah, probably about two weeks ago I saw it. >> And within these like last Let's say for example, just this last two weeks. Um was there an image or a video of a child that was without the clothes on within the last two weeks? >> I I don't recall exactly. >> Okay. Let me ask you this. When's the last time you've seen something like with a child engaged in that type of activity? >> Yes and no. 100% sure. Cuz I Like I said, I normally click out and move on. It doesn't really >> I'm just going to throw out I'm just guessing here right now cuz I'm trying to understand where you're coming from. Within the last month >> It's Like I said, it's possible. I just don't know exactly when. >> And I appreciate you saying this cuz I won't judge. Um [clears throat] I do these investigations all the time. Um you're not going to shock us or me. But what anything that you're going to tell us here is like I said my primary concern is like what your intentions are. If you actually send this out >> Yeah, there's no There's There's no ill intent. It's not Like I'm not trying to sell it for money or do anything to these kids or anything like that. >> Any of those images or videos that that show children Did you save any of those to your phone? >> No, I think all the ones I saved are adults. >> Okay. Let's just for What's the youngest age child that you've seen engaged in some type of act? >> Then like infant children, like young. Like I said, those are the ones I don't spend any time on. >> Okay. And when you say infant child, what's going on in that video or what's going on in that picture? >> Um it's I guess it depends on which one cuz like I said, there's You don't know what you get when you click into it. But it'd be like a infant holding a guy's penis or something like that. >> Okay. Would the infant have like clothes on or clothes off? >> No. No clothes. >> No clothes. Holding a guy's penis. >> Mhm. >> Would that be image or video? Or both? >> I guess both. >> Um You're using a VPN as well? >> Sometimes, other times no. >> Okay. That's some of the information too. I mean, we have [clears throat] this information that you're using a VPN. Which VPN services are you using? >> I forget. I think it's VPN 360. And it it's on the the phone. >> Okay. I want to look at it. >> Sure. Any other VPN apps? >> No, it should just be that one. >> VPN 360? >> Yeah, that one or better than that. I used to have both cuz one worked. And I was in high school one worked. You used the Wi-Fi there. >> Okay. But then I got rid of one of them. I forget which >> Exactly. Okay. >> And so at one point it was you're in towards like the 16 >> Mhm. >> No, but that was a little bit ago. >> When you're looking for let's say the let's say the 16-year-old or you have the interest in that, what are some of the those search terms or how are you seeking that out? >> Uh so it'd just be like through Kik. Like you said, in some of those some of those groups for the trading. >> Mhm. And what are some of the buzzwords that people would use in order to get maybe 14, 15, 16-year-old year old? >> I guess like teen. >> Yeah. Um Like some type of like preteen, young. >> Yeah. >> Um things like that. >> Mhm. >> School age. You know. >> Uh yeah, I don't I guess I don't know if I've seen the school age or not. It's not one I use. >> But some of those search terms are teen, preteen, young, things like that. I mean, because it's in the chats, right? CP Um would obviously mean child >> Mhm. >> What age are you looking for? Any you know, without some type of explanation that could be 0 to 18, right? >> Mhm. >> It could. >> It could, yeah. >> And that's why we're trying to like fill in those gaps there. >> Yeah, and that's >> I think we've come to the conclusion that you've seen some of the stuff on Kik. You've received images of children between infants to all the way to adults and supposed positions for content. Like I said, it's just my concern is where is this content going? Where is it stored? Who has access to it? What's being done with it? If it's just being done to satisfy your own sexual interests or your own fantasies, completely one thing. But if you're fueling it somewhere else or if it's creating a bigger issue somewhere else. You know what I mean? It's It's just >> I guess you mean >> Just to fuel your own interests. >> Basically. Yeah. Like I said, like it's Like as soon as I'm I guess I'm finished, it's like immediate regret. It's like how can I stop? And that's why delete the app and stuff and then it's the next day. >> Would you download an app, look at the content, trade content, or even try to acquire, let's say, content on Telegram or or Kik or Mega, and then how long How long after would you delete it then? >> Normally then, like 20 30 minutes. >> Okay. And you're doing it all from your phone? >> Mhm. >> Anything from your laptop at all? >> No. >> Okay. >> And if I do a forgot password and go to new email or that, you can >> Okay. Let me stop for a second. >> work to that as well. I don't want to Has the Internet PD been told anything that you've said otherwise? Have they told you like admin leave or anything? >> I haven't heard anything on >> Okay. >> I just know that it's >> I've been with you since we met this morning. >> I just know there's some sort of investigation going >> I know. Yeah. >> Cuz I obviously if they find out I'm likely out of a job, you know. >> Yeah, I don't know I don't know what communications they have or anything. I said I know you this morning in the back room and here we are right now. So. I didn't see any other, you know, chats about the the process itself playing out is in like >> crimes against children tip and that the suspect was officer Owen Hall's. Hall's could face two charges of possession of child pornography. >> Following a specialized digital investigation, the 23-year-old probationary officer was arrested and immediately terminated from the force. He faced multiple felony counts, eventually pleading no contest to possession of child >> Owen Hall's appeared in Ionia County Court today for a plea hearing. He pleaded no contest, so the judge found him guilty. One of the two possession of child charges were dropped as part of that plea deal that Hall's accepted. He's expected to be sentenced later this year. >> In December 2025, a judge sentenced Hall's to 3 years in state prison followed by 5 years of extended supervision. While he claimed to be seeking self-improvement, the court emphasized that for a man sworn to uphold the law, this was an ultimate betrayal of the community he was supposed to protect. >> As your police chief, I am sorry. We conduct very thorough backgrounds, but somehow Mr. Hall's was able to to deceive all of us. I understand this will and should cause concern. In my 7 years as your police chief, nothing has disappointed me more than the reported actions of this former officer.

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