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Bullskin man jailed on Internet sex charges

By Patty Yauger 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – A Bullskin Township man was arraigned Thursday on multiple felony charges that allege he used the Internet to make sexual contact with a minor. Melvin L. Miller Jr., 43, of 634 Park Lane, Mount Pleasant, is charged with a single count of criminal solicitation, five counts of criminal attempt to have unlawful contact with a child and a single count of criminal use of a communication facility. The charges were filed by the state Attorney General office’s Child Predator Unit.

A handcuffed Miller shook nervously as Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty read the sexually explicit 2 1/2 page criminal complaint that outlined the nine conversations he had with an undercover agent from the attorney general’s office that posed as the 13-year-old “Brianna.”

According to the complaint, Miller used a Yahoo chat room to converse with Brianna and during the first conversation on June 16 asked for a photograph of the girl. After the picture was transmitted, Miller, according to officers, sent a photo that was sexual in nature to her.

“At this point, the child asked (Miller) how old he was and when (Brianna) informed him that she was 13 and asked if that was OK, he said it was OK,” states the complaint. “(Miller) then asked whether the child could take more pictures.”

During the second conversation, Miller allegedly asked the girl about her attire and proposed meeting so that he could “teach (you) about sex.”

In a subsequent Internet conversation, Miller, according to officers, allegedly activated a Web cam to reveal himself to the child and asked if she had any other friends “we can play with” and suggested the girl initiate a relationship between him and her mother to make it convenient for the two of them to have a sexual relationship.

On July 3, during the final conversation, officers said that another photograph of Brianna was sent to Miller, which prompted him to ask who had taken the picture, and when advised that it was a 13-year-old friend, he asked to meet her.

“Tell (your) friend I want to have sex with (you and) her together,” police said was Miller’s response.

Nils Frederiksen, spokesman for the state Attorney General’s office, said that Miller was apprehended by agents in Mount Pleasant at about 10 a.m. and then taken to Westmoreland County Magisterial District Judge Bruce King before being transported to Haggerty’s office.

The thin and balding Miller, accompanied by five state Attorney General office agents and one state police trooper, told Haggerty that he has a criminal record dating back to 1984.

While he offered no specifics, Miller told Haggerty that his 1984 arrest stemmed from “something like this.”

Arresting officer, David K. Frattare, informed Haggerty that Miller was convicted on incest-related charges in 1984, criminal mischief charges in 1995 and simple assault charges in 1997.

Frederiksen said that a search warrant was executed at Miller’s residence early Thursday, seeking computers, electronic storage materials and discs that will be reviewed by the Attorney General’s computer forensic unit.

“Depending on what we might find, there may be additional charges filed,” he said.

Since the child predator unit was established in January 2005, 52 individuals have been arrested in the sting operation.

The criminal attempt to have unlawful contact with a child and criminal solicitation are first-degree felonies and carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. The criminal use of a computer is a third-degree felony and carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Miller was incarcerated in the Fayette County Prison after failing to post the $50,000 straight cash bond imposed by Haggerty.

A July 11 preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron has been scheduled in the matter.

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