The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on Sept. 27, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, RUSSELL LEROY MILLER, a 70-year-old resident of Big Fork, was sentenced to a term of:
Probation: 5 years
Special Assessment: $100
Restitution: $3,218
Fine: $10,000
MILLER was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession of child pornography.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
As part of an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) investigation, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations obtained a search warrant for MILLER's residence in Big Fork.
On Feb. 23, 2012, the search warrant was served. When interviewed, MILLER admitted using peer-to-peer file sharing programs. MILLER admitted he downloaded files containing child pornography. He also admitted that he saved the files to various CDs and external hard drives. He disclosed search terms which were indicative of search terms used to locate child pornography files.
MILLER's computers and media were forensically analyzed. The examiner located video and image files which depicted children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The files were created between Feb. 26, 2002, and Feb. 22, 2012.
The investigation was conducted by the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
