HOUSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Texas, Southern), published as received.
HOUSTON – A 65-year-old resident of Seabrook has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Ocal John Miller is a former law enforcement officer, having served as chief of police in Martinsville, West Virginia; and city councilman and mayor pro tem for Seabrook. He pleaded guilty Oct. 3, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett ordered Miller to serve 120 months on each count to run concurrently. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that it should send a message to society. Judge Bennett further commented that unfortunately Miller is not the first nor will he be the last to stand before him having committed child pornography-related offenses. The court imposed a $50,000 fine as well as a $10,000 special assessment per the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Miller will also be required to pay restitution in an amount to be determined later and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He must also register as a sex offender.
Miller came to the attention of law enforcement in June 2016 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent multiple cybertips to the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
The investigation revealed Miller was using Skype to receive and distribute child pornography images to others via the internet. Miller also used Dropbox and Kik Messenger to obtain and store child pornography. Based on information gathered during the investigation, authorities executed a federal search warrant for Miller’s home in Seabrook March 30, 2017. At that time, they seized a computer, iPhone and several digital storage devices. Forensic examination resulted in the discovery of more than 1,300 images and 1,000 videos containing child pornography.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and police departments in Webster and Pearland conducted the investigation as part of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood(PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
