St. Francois County Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Child Exploitation Case

St. Francois Co., Mo. (KFMO) - According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a St. Francois County man has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison in a child exploitation case involving multiple juvenile victims.

Federal officials say 41-year-old Richard James Miller was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp after pleading guilty earlier this year to two counts of production of child pornography.

The release states Miller recorded the sexual abuse of two juvenile girls between January 2022 and May 2024. One victim reportedly told investigators the abuse began when she was 15 years old, while another said she had been spending time at Miller’s apartment since she was 8 or 9 years old.

According to prosecutors, Miller photographed the younger victim and shared images through the Kik messaging application. Authorities also say Miller threatened the victims and their family members if the abuse was reported.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman told the court a third juvenile victim was allegedly abused in a similar manner.

The investigation began in 2024 after Homeland Security Investigations uncovered Kik messenger chats during a court-approved search connected to a New Jersey investigation. Federal authorities say child sexual abuse material linked to Miller was discovered during that investigation.

Investigators later interviewed Miller, who admitted to engaging in sexual acts with young girls at his home and distributing images online, according to the release.

Judge Schelp sentenced Miller to 50 years in federal prison on Monday.