West Mifflin Man Admits Illegally Possessing Child Pornography
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 10, 2012 |
PITTSBURGH—A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Steven M. Miller, 48, of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in May 2007, Miller possessed approximately 78 videos, in computer graphics files, the production of which involved the use of minors, some of whom had not attained the age of 12 years, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to include sexual intercourse. The videos were maintained on a laptop computer and external hard drive that Miller carried with him while employed as an interstate, long-haul trucker.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for August 17, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Miller.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.