By Michelle McCaskill, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – A non-commissioned officer was sentenced by a military judge to two years in prison after pleading guilty to viewing, possessing, and distributing multiple images and videos of child pornography during his court-martial April 9 at the Fort Bragg Courthouse.

Sgt. James G. Mahany, 32, an infantryman assigned to B Company, 1-504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, was also reduced in rank to E-1 and received a bad conduct discharge from the Army.

In February 2024, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division received a cybertip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Mahany was viewing and distributing child pornography online.

Army CID agents seized his electronics and forensic examiners found that starting in February 2022 Mahany obtained at least seven images and videos of at least seven children being sexually abused. He distributed one video. The exploited children ranged in age from toddler to young teenagers.

“This is a victory for the children whose sexual abuse was digitally documented and uploaded online. Now Pvt. Mahany’s criminal acts of viewing, possessing, and distributing these horrific videos and images of innocent children’s abuse met justice in the courtroom,” said Maj. Lauren Browning, prosecutor, Second Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. “The result would not be possible without the great work of the team at Army CID’s Internet Crimes Against Children and Digital Forensics teams.”

“Our Special Agents and digital forensic examiners work tirelessly to follow the digital trail and ensure that there is no online haven for predators like Sgt. Mahany,” said Special Agent in Charge Al Diaz, Army CID’s Carolinas Field Office. “Army CID will continue to harness advanced technology, and every available resource, to apprehend anyone who would participate in these horrendous acts.”

Mahany will serve his prison sentence at the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Upon release he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.

This case was investigated by Army CID’s Carolinas Field Office and prosecuted by Browning and Capt. Aaron Wenger, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 82nd Airborne Division.

The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is comprised of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located across the country to include Europe and Korea. For more information visit https://www.army.mil/ostc.


If you would like to report a crime, have information about a crime, or have been the subject or survivor of a crime, you can submit anonymous tips to Army CID at www.p3tips.com/armycid.