Former Ball State employee faces federal child pornography charges

Jim Hague, former director for the Office of Student Life at Ball State, has been charged with five counts involving child pornography, according to court documents from the United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Indiana.

William H. Dazey Jr., the attorney defending Hague, confirmed Hague’s identity July 8.

A federal grand jury indicted Hague on June 24, on three counts of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, one charge of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and one charge of possession of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents said that “beginning at a date unknown and continuing until at least May 26,” Hague allegedly had “knowingly received visual depictions using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce and in and affecting interstate or foreign commerce, by any means including computer, where the producing of such visual depictions involved the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and such depictions were of such conduct …”

The documents define visual depiction as “underdeveloped film and videotape, data stored on computer disk or by electronic means which is capable of conversion into a visual image, and data which is capable of conversion into a visual image that has been transmitted by any means, whether or not stored in a permanent format.”

All charges have penalties of up to $250,000 fine and range from five to 20 years in prison.

“Ball State is aware of the allegations made against one of its employees and the University is committed to assisting law enforcement’s investigation. As policy, the University does not comment on personnel matters,” said Marc Ransford, senior media strategist at Ball State.

This article will be updated.

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