A man from Tennessee, known for fostering around 20 children, has been taken into custody after his phone was randomly searched upon his return from a cruise, as per authorities.
Jason Alan Miller, who disembarked from a Carnival Horizon cruise at PortMiami with his pregnant wife and eight children, seven of whom he had adopted after fostering, was singled out for further inspection by US Customs and Border Protection officers.
During the secondary screening, Customs and Border Protection officers asked Miller to hand over his phone for examination, to which he willingly provided the passcode. Shockingly, officials discovered disturbing images and videos on his device, showing young girls being subjected to sexual abuse. One folder named ‘6yo_rare’ contained 45 illicit images, as per court documents.
At the time of the discovery, Miller’s children, aged between five and 12, were present. It was also disclosed in legal documents that Miller had fostered approximately 20 children at his residence in Tennessee.
Confirming that only he had access to his phone and acknowledging the presence of inappropriate images, Miller is now in federal custody, facing charges of possessing and transporting child pornography. If found guilty on both counts, he could potentially receive a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison under sentencing guidelines.
This incident follows the rescue of five children who were found locked in a dungeon equipped with cameras to prevent their escape. James Russell, 65, and Carly Kahl, 41, were the parents of the children discovered in Redstone Township, Pennsylvania, living in appalling conditions. The children, aged between five and 14, were confined in a filthy room with boarded-up windows, infested with fleas, lacking proper bedding, and provided minimal food.
Law enforcement officials uncovered a stun gun, replica pistol, and drugs during a search of the property. District Attorney Mike Aubele described the children’s confinement as akin to captivity, with surveillance cameras linked to another room for monitoring. Aubele also condemned the use of a stun gun against a child, emphasizing its unnecessary and inappropriate nature.
The children have since been placed under the care of Children and Youth Services after being safely removed from the harmful environment. Reports indicate that the children had endured neglect, with allegations of drug use by the father and instances of mistreatment by Carly using a taser on one of the children.
