Child porn investigation of photos from Fort Worth museum closed; grand jury no bills case
The child pornography investigation into photos taken from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in January has been closed after a Tarrant County grand jury declined to indict anyone in connection with the case, officials said.
“The Modern thanks the Tarrant County Grand Jury’s thorough review in this matter,” said the museum’s attorney, Michael Anderson, in a statement Wednesday, March 26. “The Modern is the oldest museum in the State of Texas. It proudly serves the Fort Worth community and beyond and will continue to maintain the highest of standards.”
The photos in question — which were on display in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s “Diaries of Home” exhibit — included images of photographer Sally Mann’s children in the nude. Fort Worth police seized the photos in January after some local officials questioned if the images were child pornography.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare called the images “deeply disturbing” in a post on X and expressed confidence that law enforcement would thoroughly investigate the matter “and take appropriate action.”
“A Tarrant County Grand Jury declined to take any action against employees of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth over the exhibition of Sally Mann’s photos,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Wednesday.
A Police Department spokesperson said the case was officially closed Wednesday.
“We respect the Grand Jury’s decision, and any items related to the case will be returned to their rightful owners,” the spokesperson said.
Three civil liberties organizations sent a letter to Police Chief Neil Noakes on Feb. 19, accusing the department of “unconstitutional censorship” and insisting the investigation be halted.
“While some may find the images inappropriate, that does not strip them of the First Amendment protection afforded to artistic expression,” the letter states.
The coalition applauded the grand jury’s decision in statements issued Friday, March 28.
“We are pleased that the grand jury rejected the government’s shameful and dishonest criminal accusations against Sally Mann’s internationally renowned photography,” said Chloe Kempf, staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas. “The case should have never gotten this far — the First Amendment robustly protects artistic expression from the personal whims and disfavor of government officials. All of us have the freedom to artistically express ourselves free from government censorship.”
Mann took numerous photos of her three children when they were growing up in the 1980s and early ‘90s. Some of the images show her daughters posing with dolls, her son with a bloody nose and one of her daughters showing off a new dress.
Other photos depict her children in the nude, and these in particular have been the subject of controversy since they were first published in 1992.
Mann, who was named “America’s best photographer” by Time magazine in 2001, has said she was “documenting the everyday joys and woes of child-rearing.”
The photos have been displayed in over a dozen art galleries around the world, including the National Gallery of Art.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM.
