Diamond Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Diamond, Missouri, man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Terry Lee Miksell, 63, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Miksell on Jan. 28, 2020.

Miksell is charged with one count of producing child pornography and one count of using the internet and a cell phone to attempt to induce a minor to engage in sexual activity.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Facebook initiated two CyberTips in September 2019 after locating sexually explicit messages and images between Miksell and a 16-year-old victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe. Miksell allegedly asked Jane Doe in Facebook Messenger chats to send him sexually explicit images and videos. She told investigators she sent those images and videos at his request.

Officers executed a search warrant at Miksell’s residence on Jan. 16, 2020, and seized several devices, including a cell phone. According to the affidavit, the cell phone contained a pornographic video of the child victim.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Project Safe Childhood
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 Attorneys' 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.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."