The former chair of the journalism program at duPont Manual High School has been sentenced to three years in prison for possessing child sex abuse material.
James Miller pleaded guilty late last year to two charges related to filming a 10-year-old undress in a Louisville hotel room. The videos were found by the child’s mother, whom Miller was in a relationship with at the time.
Miller’s attorneys requested the court give him five years probation instead of prison time. His lawyers say the former teacher was addicted to sex and alcohol at the time of the crimes, and that he has since gone through treatment.
“Imposing a five-year term of probation would allow James to continue his rehabilitation efforts without endangering the safety of the community, and though probation is not nearly as severe as incarceration, neither is it so slight a penalty that granting it would unduly depreciate the seriousness of James’s offenses,” attorneys wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Attorneys provided the court with several letters of support from Miller’s friends, family and sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Julie Kaelin, however, was unmoved and sentenced Miller to three years behind bars.
Miller must also register for his lifetime on the Sex Offender Registry and complete a sex offender treatment program.
Miller freelanced for several media outlets, including Louisville Public Media in 2013. He was never employed by Louisville Public Media.
Note: To report child abuse and neglect, contact Kentucky’s Child Protection Branch toll-free at (877) 597-2331 or (800) 752-6200, or online. If you or a loved one has experienced sexual assault or harassment, contact the confidential National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673 to be connected to a provider in your area.
