AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

AUGUST 30, 2007

FORMER ARMY OFFICER SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON FOR RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis sentenced Steve Miller, age 46, of Odenton, Maryland, today to five years in prison followed by 25 years of supervised release for receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Miller was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

According to his guilty plea and sentencing documents, Miller was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army upon his honorable discharge after more than 20 years of military service to the Army, Army Reserve and National Guard. In July 2006, the FBI began an investigation of a sophisticated Internet message board that posted sexually explicit videos and images depicting children. On October 25, 2006, an undercover FBI agent posted a message to the board, indicating that a file containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct was available. The post provided links to download the advertised file. The links were located on a covert FBI computer. The file did not actually contain child pornography.

The FBI was able to trace various IP addresses that downloaded or attempted to download the file from the covert FBI computer, and found that on October 25, 2006, Miller connected to the links and downloaded the FBI’s advertised file. A subsequent search of Miller’s residence and analysis of Miller’s computer revealed that Miller used his computer to receive more than 150 images of child pornography from the Internet, including images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexual activity.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its investigative work, and commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Solette Magnelli, who prosecuted the case.