Caught in the Act: Justice in State and Federal Court

Mark Miller was arrested after a child’s mother called 911 to report that she caught him in the act of sexually abusing her nine-year-old daughter. He was held at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived. Miller was a family friend who had assaulted and recorded the child’s abuse on his cellphone for over two years. The subsequent investigation discovered that Miller’s computer screen saver was a nude photo of the child and that along with all of the CSAM he had created of her he had also created videos of her to play on his virtual reality headset. This case study will discuss the issues involved when state and federal law enforcement partner on a joint investigation. It will discuss when federal charges are appropriate and the advantages and obstacles that are encountered during joint investigations. Miller was prosecuted and convicted in both state and federal court and sentenced to sixty years in prison. The presentation will also address the cross examination of Miler’s witnesses and experts by the federal prosecutor at this sentencing.