Settlement for former Great Falls teacher accused of child sex abuse

GREAT FALLS — William James Harning, a former Great Falls High School teacher who was charged last year after investigators found child pornography on his phone, has reached a settlement with prosecutors.

In December 2021, the principal of Great Falls High School contacted the Great Falls Police Department to report that Harning had sent an “inappropriate photo of Harning’s penis” to a 17-year-old student. Harning’s face was reportedly visible in the photo.

Later that day, GFPD detectives contacted Harning in his classroom while he was still in school and obtained a search warrant for his phone.

Court documents show that “due to a significant backlog of devices being recovered,” Harning’s phone was not searched until May 2023 and the results were provided to a GFPD detective.

The detective noted “numerous” sexually explicit images of children between the ages of 5 and 17, in addition to self-produced sexually explicit images of Harning.

Great Falls Public Schools Superintendent Tom Moore said immediate action was taken when he learned of the incident, placing Harning on administrative leave. Moore said Harning resigned and did not return to the district.

Moore said the district turned over all information to the Montana Office of Public Instruction for investigation and that Harning’s teaching license had been revoked.

Harning was formally charged in Cascade County on August 31, 2023, with six counts of child sexual abuse.

On August 29, 2024, Harning entered into a plea agreement in which the six counts of child sexual abuse were amended to two counts of obscenity, the second of which was dismissed.

Montana Code Annotated 45-8-201 states, among other things:

Under the MCA, a person found guilty of obscenity can be fined a minimum of $500 but not more than $1,000, or imprisoned in the county jail for up to six months, or both.

Under the settlement, Harning must register as a sex offender in Montana and pay a $500 fine.

He was also sentenced to six months in the Cascade County Detention Center, with all sentences suspended.