Baltimore Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution, Transportation, and Possession of Child Pornography

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Adam Robert Miller, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession, receipt, and distribution of child pornography.  Miller also took sexually explicit images and videos of a minor female beginning when she was 15 years old.  Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Miller will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to the indictment and the facts presented to the Court as part of his guilty plea, in July 2017, Homeland Security Investigations-Baltimore received information from Canadian authorities regarding a user of the KIK secure-messaging application, “amiller89,” who was distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in KIK chatrooms. Canadian authorities learned about the account in the course of a larger investigation of child pornography trafficking by KIK users.  Subscriber information obtained for the IP address used to access the account was identified as belonging to Miller’s father, at the home where they both resided.

On September 13, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Miller’s residence.  Miller waived his rights and spoke with law enforcement, admitting that “amiller89” was his account.  Miller admitted that between May 13, 2015 and September 13, 2017, he uploaded and stored images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his Dropbox accounts.  A search of Miller’s Dropbox accounts revealed that they contained over 300 videos of child pornography.  Data stored on devices seized during the search of Miller’s residence included hundreds of videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, including a prepubescent girl being subjected to sexual bondage. 

In addition, Miller admitted taking sexually explicit images and videos of Jane Doe, whom the defendant met when Jane Doe was 14 years old.  The images and videos produced by Miller were uncovered on Miller’s devices and were taken when Jane Doe was 15, 16, and 17 years old.  On July 16, 2017, Miller used an encrypted chat application to communicate with another user. During those communications, Miller sent the other user three images of Jane Doe engaged in sexually explicit activity.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.       

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, who prosecuted the federal case.

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