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| Parents Angered over Child Porn Charges Against Soldier Son |
A Galesburg soldier remains held in Afghanistan, months after the rest of his unit came home, because he's facing child pornography charges.
The family of Army Specialist Billy Miller, based with a National Guard Unit in Galva, says it took a television report to let them know their son was facing military charges of Possession of Child Pornography and Failure to Obey a General Order, offenses punishable by court marshal. Miller's father Rod says they wouldn't have known his son was even being investigated until they got word from their older son in Texas that army investigators had questioned him.
At issue is a set of pictures Miller's mother Terri e-mailed to her son in order to help him overcome homesickness -- pictures of Miller's young niece -- a cancer survivor -- that show her playing in a swimming pool, near Billy Miller's truck, and one showing the girl in a bathing swimsuit with a partially bare buttocks.
We're not using the young girl's name for her protection, but Terri Miller tells WGIL she just wanted to remind her son of someone he held dear.
"There has always been a close bond there between Billy and (the girl), the granddaughter, his niece, because of her sickness," Terri Miller said. "He loves her just like it's his own child. When he was home on R & R, he took her...and bought her, her first bicycle. He bought her a baby doll. This little girl is very special to each and every one of us."
The Millers say the rest of their son's unit, who's been home since last September, has been very supportive, but no one can seem to provide any concrete answers. They say they're not trying to say their son is innocent or guilty, but they'd like him brought home to be tried here.
Meantime, a Quad Cities television station (WQAD) is reporting that the Failure to Obey a General Order charge stems from accusations Billy Miller also had adult pornography on his computer.
There's now a 120-day window for Miller to be tried since formal charges weren't filed until earlier this month. |
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