By Patrick Adrian EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — A youth mentor and addiction counselor residing in Claremont faces criminal charges in Vermont for possession and production of child pornography.
Wayne Anthony Miller, 34, formerly of Hartland, Vermont, was charged on Friday with one count of “production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), formerly called child pornography” in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, according to a news release from the United States Department of Justice.
Miller is the founder and former director of Living Proof Mentoring, a nonprofit mentoring and advocacy program serving black youth in rural Vermont and New Hampshire communities. Miller founded the organization in 2018.
From March 2018 to April 2020, Miller was the manager of The Center for Recovery Resources, in Claremont, a peer-based support program for people impacted by addiction. The recovery center is operated by the TLC Family Resource Center, a nonprofit multi-service organization that serves families and children in lower Grafton and Sullivan Counties.
“The TLC Family Resource Center is continuing an internal investigation to ensure that there were no incidents involving TLC clients during Mr. Miller’s employment,” said TLC’s Executive Director Stephanie Slayton. “At this point, the agency has no reason to believe that there were any such incidents.”
The Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began an investigation of Miller last month after receiving a Cybertip from Google alleging that a user had attempted to send images depicting child sexual abuse by email to another account.
After obtaining search warrants the Vermont task force searched both Google accounts involved in the transfer and discovered additional images, “some of which appeared to have been produced by Miller,” according to the release.
Both Google accounts allegedly belonged to Miller, the release states.
“Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations obtained a federal search warrant to search Miller’s new residence in Claremont, New Hampshire,” according to the release. “During execution of this search warrant, Miller spoke with law enforcement and confirmed that he produced CSAM that depicted him and a toddler-aged child known to him.”
Miller appeared in court to answer the complaint on Friday, Dec. 10. At the hearing, Miller made his initial appearance to answer the complaint in federal court on Dec. 10. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered Miller detained and set a probable cause hearing for Dec. 22.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson is handling the prosecution of Miller. Miller is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc.
Katrina Battle, a community coordinator from the Greater Burlington area, is currently transitioning into an interim director role within Living Proof Mentoring.
Battle told the Eagle Times that Miller will not be returning to Living Proof Mentoring in any capacity.
reporter @eagletimes.com
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.