Beverly Man Charged With Child Pornography Possession: U.S. Attorney

BEVERLY, MA — A Beverly man required to register as a sex offender after being previously convicted of child pornography possession appeared in federal court to face an additional child pornography charge on Wednesday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Robert Miller, 59, was charged after an investigation into an online chat forum suspected of being used for accessing and exchanging child pornography identified Miller as a member of that forum. The U.S. Attorney's Office said a search of Miller's home discovered more than a dozen electronic devices that it said contained multiple videos depicting child pornography.

Miller was detained pending a hearing set for May 10.

Miller had served three years of probation following his September 2018 conviction in Essex Superior Court and was required to register as a sex offender.

The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.