A Hagerstown man has been sentenced to 37 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting two children, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Harrison James Miller, 32, received the sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Brendan A. Hurson and will be subject to lifetime supervised release following his prison term.
Miller had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and commission of a felony crime involving a minor by a registered sex offender. According to court documents, Miller was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted in Pennsylvania for offenses involving an 8-year-old child. After his release from prison in August 2022, he moved to Hagerstown but did not register as required by law.
Authorities say Miller gained access to two children, ages four and five, and abused them over several months. He also took images of the abuse and stored them in a password-protected folder on his phone. The investigation began when one of the minors disclosed the abuse to their mother, leading law enforcement officers to search Miller’s phone and uncover evidence.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and identify victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc, including resources on Internet safety education.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes stated: "U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, and HPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case."
Further details about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and community resources are available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
