UPDATE #2: A former Neenah police officer faces a $20,000 cash bail bond and could face up to 50 years in prison after he was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography.
22-year-old Owen Halls appeared in Outagamie County Court Thursday afternoon, a day after the Neenah Police Department announced his firing.
Halls has been ordered to avoid contact with anyone under 18 and cannot use any internet devices, according to a court commissioner.
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 5 at 9:00 a.m.
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UPDATE: A former Neenah police officer is currently being held in the Outagamie County Jail after he was taken into custody for possession of child porn.
According to the Outagamie County District Attorney's Office, Owen Halls, 22, is set to appear before the court commissioner this afternoon.
That's when the complaint will likely be filed in court, and we'll have a better idea of when Halls will be going before a judge again and whether the judge will accept bond in this case.
Please stay with NBC 26 on air and online as this story develops.
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ORIGINAL REPORTING: A Neenah police officer has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and, as a result, has been fired from the department.
Neenah Chief of Police Aaron Olson said in a news release Wednesday that on Monday, Kaukauna's chief of police advised Olson that Kaukauna Police received an Internet Crimes Against Children tip, and the suspect was Owen Halls, a Neenah police officer.
Olson said a plan was made to have Halls — who was hired with Neenah PD on March 25, 2024 — detained. Kaukauna Police executed multiple search warrants Wednesday, according to Olson.
Police say Halls has been charged with two counts of possessing of child pornography.
"Mr. Halls’ alleged conduct has disgraced our department, our citizens, and law enforcement as a whole. As a result, he has been terminated from our department, and we are following the process to have the Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) decertify him as a Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officer.
As your police chief, I am sorry. We conduct very thorough backgrounds, but somehow, Mr. Halls was able to deceive all of us. I understand this will and should cause concern. In my seven years as your police chief, nothing has disappointed me more than the reported actions of this former officer.
Moving forward, I along with all our Neenah Police Department staff will work extremely hard to rebuild your trust. I would like to thank the Kaukauna Police Department for conducting a thorough investigation. I would also like to thank the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, Winnebago County District Attorney's Office, and the Outagamie County District Attorney's Office, for their assistance in this matter."
Police say an investigation is ongoing, and added they will not be releasing further information at this time.
