A St. Francois County man was sentenced on April 29 to 50 years in prison after recording his sexual abuse of two underage girls, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp told Richard James Miller during sentencing, “You’re not going to get out again,” and added, “You’re not going to get an opportunity to victimize someone else.”
Court documents show that Miller, age 41, recorded his sexual abuse of two juveniles between January 1, 2022, and May 24, 2024. One victim reported that her abuse began at age fifteen; another said she started visiting Miller’s apartment when she was eight or nine years old and was told by him to undress so he could take pictures and send them to friends. Both victims said in statements read before Judge Schelp that Miller threatened their relatives’ lives if they disclosed the abuse; one victim also recounted threats against her dogs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman said in court that a third juvenile victim had been abused in a similar manner but did not present a statement at sentencing.
The investigation began when Homeland Security Investigations found Kik messenger chats containing child sexual abuse images during a search of a New Jersey man’s home in 2024. The chats led investigators to Miller, who admitted engaging in sex acts with young girls at his residence and distributing photos of one victim via Kik group chat.
Miller pleaded guilty in February to two counts of production of child pornography. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Park Hills Police Department, and Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation nationwide.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri advances community well-being by working with entities to prevent crime and improve quality of life,according to its official website. The office uses both the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis and Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau,as noted on its website. It operates under the United States Department of Justice,according to its official website, serving forty-nine counties across eastern Missouri.The office investigates federal crimes such as terrorism and fraud while enforcing civil rights.
