Lincoln Man Receives 100-Year Sentence for Producing Child Pornography

 United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Titus Miller, 27, of Lincoln was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf for five counts of production of child pornography.  Miller was sentenced to 20 years in prison on each count which will be served consecutively to equal a total of 100 years in prison.  Upon his release, he will serve a lifetime term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Miller will also be required to register as a sex offender. Miller was additionally ordered to pay $50,000 in special assessments which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of crimes.

On October 21, 2019, Special Agents in the Knoxville, Tennessee Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant and arrested a subject in Alabama.  The subject disclosed information that he had been exchanging images and videos of child pornography with an individual, later identified as Titus Miller, via an internet based messaging application called Telegram, a means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce.  Agents were provided access to the Alabama subject’s phone and Telegram account. Upon reviewing chats within Telegram, agents saw that on October 15, 2019, Miller transmitted a video to the Alabama subject depicting Miller engaging in sexually explicit conduct on a minor male victim under the age of 10.  This video was later recovered from Miller’s phone during the course of a search warrant by the FBI and Lincoln Police Department on October 22, 2019, at Miller’s residence in Lincoln, Nebraska.

While accessing the Alabama subject’s account, agents were able to covertly act as the Alabama subject and began communicating with Miller. On October 22, 2019, Miller sent the undercover FBI agent four videos depicting juvenile males under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct. These videos were also recovered from Miller’s phone during the course of a search warrant by the FBI and Lincoln Police Department on October 22, 2019, at Miller’s residence in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Investigation determined that from August 20, 2019 through October 15, 2019, Miller worked at Playful Painters Daycare, located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Miller worked the nighttime shift and had a supervisory role at the daycare.  The videos were produced at the daycare while Miller had custody, care and supervisory control over the minor victims.  Each video was produced using a Samsung Galaxy S9 smart phone and stored on a SanDisk media storage card.  All of the videos were also stored in the Telegram internet based messaging application.

Miller previously pled guilty to the five counts of production of child pornography on July 15, 2020.  Each count concerned a minor victim ranging in age from 4 – 6.

After today’s sentencing Acting Special Agent in Charge Paula Ebersole said, “The 100 year sentence guarantees Titus Miller will spend the rest of his life in Federal prison.  He will no longer be able to hurt or victimize children again.  FBI Omaha will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement partners, to bring to justice those who prey on the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

United States Attorney Kelly expressed “Today’s sentence of 100 years is the highest imposed in the District of Nebraska for the manufacture of child pornography. Miller’s actions were reprehensible, unspeakable, and carefully planned for his own gratification and that of others who find their satisfaction in the exploitation of defenseless children. One hundred years, although significant does not erase the damage done to the young children. Our thoughts and sympathy are with their families.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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 to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Lincoln Police Department.