Army sergeant charged with having child porn is arraigned

Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Hall, charged with possession of child pornography, had his federal arraignment hearing Wednesday morning.

Hall was arrested last week by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

HSI Special Agent Joshua Conrad testified that he and other agents had served a search warrant at Hall’s home last week and talked to Hall before taking him into custody.

Conrad, who is part of HSI’s cyber crimes group, discovered an IP address with Hall’s name downloading and sharing child pornography in July 2014.

After searching further they found several additional addresses where Hall allegedly downloaded more child pornography.

While Conrad and HSI executed the search warrant Conrad talked to the defendant and even told Conrad he was free to leave at any time.

Conrad then said on the stand that HSI agents found two laptops with several videos and images containing child pornography at Hall’s house.

It was at that time that Conrad says that Hall told him “I think I’d like an attorney”

Conrad said Hall told agents he had smuggled a live grenade home after one of his deployments, saying he kept a grenade in case the country went south and he would use it against enemies.

Defense attorney Randolph Ortega told the judge Hall had been deployed ten times – seven of them into combat zones.

During the interview while Hall was in custody, Conrad allowed Hall to talk to his wife by cell phone and listened in on the conversation via speaker phone.

Conrad heard Hall tell his wife he downloaded stuff he was not supposed to, adding “I stepped on my (genitalia) and have to man up.”

While talking to the agents Hall told them he would use the grenade against zombies and then go to his neighbors’ homes.

Agents asked if he would go to his neighbors’ homes to steal their food and Hall told them “no, to eat them.”

Conrad went on to testify that Hall’s behavior was unusual and he felt Hall was unstable. Conrad said Hall’s Fort Bliss supervisor had told them they had problems with him and were in the process of having him removed from the Army.

Ortega asked U.S. District Court Judge Robert Castaneda to give Hall a signature bond, saying anything less is unjust and punitive, adding it’s amazing that anyone thought his client is a danger.

The U.S. attorney prosecuting the case then went on to thank Hall for his service to the country but said to get a bond for his service to his country is ludicrous, saying Hall had exhibited unusual behavior and even had a grenade in a house with his 8-year-old stepson inside.

The U.S. attorney added that Hall is a danger to the community.

Castaneda told both the U.S. attorney and defense attorney he needed one day to think about it and to come back at 9:15 a.m. Thursday.

Ortega told ABC-7 he was saddened by the charges and hopeful for bond and a positive outcome.

Editor’s Note: Hall’s booking photo has not been released because it is ICE policy not to release mugshots of those in ICE custody.