A man from Tennessee, known for fostering around 20 children, has been taken into custody after a routine search of his phone upon returning from a cruise, officials reported.
Jason Alan Miller, accompanied by his pregnant wife and eight children – seven of whom were adopted after being fostered by him – disembarked from a Carnival Horizon cruise ship at PortMiami earlier this month.
During a secondary inspection by US Customs and Border Protection officers, the 48-year-old father was singled out from the security line for further scrutiny.
Customs and Border Protection officers commonly conduct phone searches on individuals re-entering the United States, regardless of citizenship status.
Upon being asked to provide his phone for inspection, Miller willingly gave the passcode. Authorities were shocked by the contents discovered.
Allegedly found on his device were images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young girls. One folder, labeled ‘6yo_rare’, reportedly contained 45 inappropriate images, as per court documents.
At the time of the discovery, Miller’s children, aged between five and 12 years old, were present.
Furthermore, it was disclosed in the charging document that Miller had fostered approximately 20 children at his residence in Tennessee.
Miller admitted to authorities that he was the sole user of his phone and was aware of the indecent images on the device.
He is now in federal custody, facing charges of possessing and transporting child pornography. If convicted on both counts, he could receive a maximum prison sentence of 30 years under sentencing guidelines.
This incident follows the rescue of five children who were found confined in a dungeon equipped with cameras to prevent their escape.
The residence of James Russell, 65, and Carly Kahl, 41, in Redstone Township, Pennsylvania was raided after reports of children living in appalling conditions were received by the police.
Pennsylvania State Troopers discovered the children, aged between five and 14, confined to a filthy room with boarded-up windows, infested with fleas, and lacking proper bedding or adequate food.
The children are now under the care of Children and Youth Services after being removed from the home. They recounted instances of neglect and abuse, including the use of a taser by Carly on one of them.
During a property search, law enforcement found a stun gun, imitation firearm, and drugs. District Attorney Mike Aubele described the situation as child captivity and condemned the unnecessary use of a stun gun against a child.
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