FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 5, 2011
OHIO MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Anthony S. Miller, 37, of Ohio, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger for failure to register as a sex offender. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge in May. Miller was required to register as a sex offender after previously pleading guilty to one count of abduction and one count of gross sexual imposition.
Upon his release from an Ohio prison, the defendant signed the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act form in Franklin County, Ohio. Miller was required to register with the sheriff of each county in Ohio or any other state in which he would reside. The offender registration form also informed Miller that he was a Tier II offender and was required to register for a period of 25 years with verification every 180 days after his initial registration.
Miller was subsequently arrested on May 8, 2010, in Beckley, West Virginia, and during an interview with investigators, admitted that he resided there for a short time and failed to register as required under federal law. Miller further admitted to leaving Ohio and traveling to Washington D.C. and then to Beckley, West Virginia, where he had been living in his car until his arrest. Miller admitted that he knew he was required to register as a sex offender and had failed to do so as required.
The United States Marshals Service and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Johnston handled the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.
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