Youth adviser faces child porn charge

Myers Park Presbyterian volunteer in federal custody

ROBERT F. MOORE AND MELISSA MANWARE

Staff Writers

A volunteer youth adviser at Myers Park Presbyterian Church is scheduled to appear in federal court today on a felony charge of distributing child pornography. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, meanwhile, have joined the FBI investigation that led to the charge.

Russell Earl Miller, 48, of Charlotte is in federal custody in Georgia. He could be released on his own recognizance or on an unsecured bond after the detention hearing in Brunswick, Ga. A judge could also order him detained and federal marshals would then bring him to Charlotte to face the charge.

It's not clear whether Miller will also be formally arraigned today, but Tom Withers, his Savannah attorney, said his client would deny the child pornography charge whenever the opportunity arises.

"He will enter a plea of not guilty," Withers said.

Miller, accused of sending pornographic pictures of children through a computer, was arrested Thursday while on a youth group retreat in Jekyll Island, Ga.

As his wife made the 5 1/2-hour trek from their home near Fairview Road to the courthouse in Georgia, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and FBI agents were sifting through computer files, photographs and other evidence seized in a search last week.

Detective Susan Sarvis, of the police department's juvenile victims unit, said police are trying to determine whether any children were sexually assaulted.

"It's something we're concerned about, but we haven't discovered anything like that at this point," Sarvis said.

Miller hasn't been charged in federal or state court with sexually assaulting children.

Volunteer history

Miller, who has two children, was honored last year as an adult role model by a youth group within the Mecklenburg County Health Department that works with teens. He'd volunteered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools beginning in 2001, district officials said.He was appointed in May to the School Leadership Team at Alexander Graham Middle School, district spokeswoman LaTarzja Henry told the Observer on Wednesday. She said he was scheduled to begin serving in that role in the fall.

To serve on the leadership team, Miller will have to fill out a volunteer application form, as all volunteers do each year, Henry said. The position would not require a background check. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.

During the last school year, he volunteered to work at a concession stand at Myers Park High School football games, Henry said. In those activities, according to Henry, a volunteer is not alone with students.

During 2001 and 2002, Henry said, Miller was a co-coach with an Odyssey of the Mind team from Sharon Elementary School. Some problem-solving competition team volunteers are permitted to be alone with students and sometimes travel with them. Henry said it was not immediately clear whether Miller was in a role that allowed him to be alone with students.

The district has a volunteer screening process and keeps a "profile" of each volunteer, which lists what activities they have been involved in, whether or not the person is permitted to work independently with or travel with students, and what level of background check was required. Henry said the district does not have a profile on Miller.

"Obviously it is something that fell through the cracks," she said.

At Myers Park Presbyterian

Few new details have emerged from the 3,700-member church where Miller had volunteered since the mid-90s. Pastor Steve Eason was out of town Wednesday.

Will Lavery, a church spokesman, said Miller is not currently a volunteer with Myers Park Presbyterian pending the outcome of the case. He wouldn't say whether Miller had resigned. He said he didn't know how many retreats or similar trips Miller had been on.

Lavery said the church has taken steps to assure parents that child-protection policies were followed during the recent Jekyll Island retreat. It says two adults must be with children at a time, and adults room separately from youths.

Miller's wife identified 37 images of two girls, about 11 or 12 years old, among the evidence seized from the couple's home Thursday, according to an affidavit filed in the case. The girls were on the Jekyll Island retreat, along with 19 other children and four adult advisers, including Miller.

According to the affidavit, Miller's wife told FBI agents that her husband had a digital camera with him on the retreat.

The federal charge against Miller stems from an investigation begun in October by an FBI agent in Buffalo, N.Y. The agent logged onto an America Online account, entered a chat room and then began exchanging messages with someone who sent him sexually explicit images of children.

During a morning instant messaging session, someone from a screen name the FBI says was later traced to Miller sent to the agent at least nine sexually explicit images of children.

There were similar exchanges in January and March, court records show. Some of the children depicted in the images are believed to be between 4 and 9, records show.

Authorities during the search of the Charlotte home last week found about 195 pair of girls' panties and seven training bras mixed in with Miller's clothing in his dresser drawer, according to the affidavit. His wife, the affidavit shows, told an FBI agent:

"She never goes in his dresser and he does his own laundry."

-- James (stinkcat_14@hotmail.com), July 12, 2004

Answers

Please pray for the victims. Sexual abuse can have devastating effects on a person, and it is not just a Catholic problem.

-- James (stinkcat_14@hotmail.com), July 12, 2004.

That's so wrong.

He was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Those poor children...

-- Henry (HenryJ525@dodgeit.com), July 12, 2004.

James you are right, it is not just a Catholic problem. I work with a little gal about 20 years old who was molested by the youth pastor at a local, small, very rural, Presbyterian Church.

Very much prayer is needed!

Lord, may your abundant grace and mercy flood the souls of these poor innocent victims. May your love cover the multitude of these sins and bring healing to the broken!

Gail

-- Gail (Rothfarms@socket.net), July 13, 2004.

I am very troubled by Russ's actions and past personal decisions. I am a 16 year-old boy, a member of Russ's church and youth group. I have had many times through these past hard months to come to a conclusion for my self and that I wish my church and other Christian to pray about. Not only should we pray for the children that have been involved in this incident, but I visited Russ today at the prison that he is currently residing in. Another adult from my church took me with him and he let me talk with Russ for practically the entire portion of our 20 minute session. Russ and I discussed the severe consequences of addiction and that he never wants anyone to be in his position. He told me that if anyone that is dealing with addiction MUST get help as soon as possible. Russ had told the adult that supervised my visit a few months ago that he had come extremely close to getting help a number of times but he never followed through. Russ's example of addiction must let us think of the rest of the world and the masses that deal with alcohol and tobacco products. My ultimate goal is for everyone to realize that yes this incident occurred and also that this situation is a message from God about forgiveness and moving through difficult circumstances. If you would have heard the shakiness of Russ's voice which carried across the phone line into my voice, maybe the judgmental side of you would evaporate and you would see the inner truth behind all of this. Please Pray.

-- Child of Forgiveness (kingsweteo@aol.com), February 06, 2005.