MONTANA MAN CHARGED WITH 64 CHILD SEX CRIMES GETS DEFERRED PRISON SENTENCE. William Edward Miller, Jr., could petition to be removed from the sex offender registry by this time next year

July 23, 2020
Chris Harris
People

After accepting a plea deal from prosecutors, a Montana man who was charged with 64 individual counts, including rape and sexual abuse of children, may never spend any time behind bars after receiving a 1-year deferred prison sentence on Monday.

William Edward Miller Jr., according to reports, received the sentence from Judge Elizabeth Best.

Miller will be on unsupervised probation for the next year. If, after the year, the 51-year-old has committed no other crimes, the entire matter will be expunged from his record.

The Great Falls Tribune reports Miller pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of children — after detectives found illicit photographs and disturbing web searches on his cell phone and laptop.

He also pleaded guilty to unsworn falsification to authorities, for which he received a six-month sentence. Local reports indicate, though, that Miller received credit for 384 days of time already served.

The other 63 charges against him were dismissed, reports KULR.

Thee was also ordered to complete sex offender treatment.

Miller was arrested in February of 2019 for rape, according to KFBB.

He was accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and permitting an 11-year-old boy to rape her, too.

In August of 2019, state authorities filed 64 counts of sexual abuse of children, alleging that Miller possessed images of child pornography and bestiality on his phone and laptop.

According to the Great Falls Tribune, Miller could also petition to be removed from the sex offender registry if he successfully completes his probation.

In court, Miller said the entire case destroyed the lives of him and his wife.

"We're suffering," the paper quotes him as saying. "I’ve served time in jail for stuff that I didn’t even do."

Miller said he wants to be a good person but has had "really bad luck," the paper reports.

https://people.com/crime/montana-man-64-child-sex-crimes-deferred-prison-sentence/

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