A registered sex offender from Park Hills, Missouri, has admitted to molesting a 14-year-old boy and soliciting nude images in exchange for cash and marijuana. Reginald M. Miller, 57, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis to charges of coercion and enticement of a minor as a repeat offender, solicitation of child pornography as a prior offender, and receiving child pornography as a prior offender.
Miller confessed to starting the abuse in 2023 by touching the victim's genitals without consent. He provided alcohol and marijuana to the victim and paid him to prevent reporting of the incidents. Additionally, Miller offered money or marijuana for video calls where the victim would expose himself. On January 4, 2024, he sent a text indicating there was no escape from their "friendship," according to his plea agreement.
The U.S. Attorney’s office plans to request a 40-year prison sentence at Miller’s sentencing on October 15.
Miller has previous convictions; in 1999 he was convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and assault in St. Louis County Circuit Court, leading to jail time and probation. In 2008, he faced charges including statutory sodomy in St. Louis Circuit Court with a sentence of 16 years.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the LaSalle Police Department, LaSalle County Sheriff's Office, Park Hills Police Department, and FBI’s St. Louis Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through federal collaboration with state and local resources.
