Tony O. Miller Sentenced for Child Porn Access

A former Selmer Police Department lieutenant has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for accessing child pornography on a hidden website used to trade graphic material depicting minors as young as under 12. Tony O. Miller, 36, of Finger, Tennessee, exploited his position of authority while committing the crimes, federal prosecutors confirm.

Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today following a January 5, 2017 hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen. Miller admitted to using work-issued digital devices and special technology to access a concealed website between January and March 2015, where users shared, viewed, and commented on child sexual abuse material.

The website was inaccessible through standard search engines like Google or Bing, operating instead on a dark web network that masked user identities. FBI investigators uncovered the site through an undercover operation targeting users involved in the distribution and consumption of child pornography. Miller was identified as an active participant who not only viewed but uploaded illicit content.

At the time of the offenses, Miller was a lieutenant with the Selmer Police Department and simultaneously pursuing a law degree—positioning himself as a future guardian of justice while engaged in heinous criminal activity. His access to law enforcement resources only deepened the betrayal of public trust, authorities say.

In September 2016, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography. During sentencing, Judge Breen considered new testimony revealing Miller had destroyed digital evidence during the investigation, a move that underscored deliberate attempts to conceal his crimes. The 30-month sentence reflects the severity of both the offense and the obstruction of justice.

The FBI led the investigation, aided by the FBI Major Case Coordination Unit in Linthicum, Maryland, and the Selmer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Ireland prosecuted the case. Individuals with information on related criminal activity are urged to contact the Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force at 901.747.4300. The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a DOJ initiative targeting child sexual exploitation. More information is available at www.justice.gov/psc/.