Florida man sentenced to 30 years for sex crimes against children

ORLANDO – A Florida man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child pornography. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

According to court documents, Frank Miles, III, 32, of Rockledge, transported at least 69 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children less than 12 years old to his online storage accounts.  State law enforcement officers arrested Miles and charged him with possession of child pornography. While his state case was pending, Miles continued to sexually exploit children, creating a profile on a location-based teen social networking site, and posing as a 17-year-old high school student. There, Miles met a child whom he believed to be 14 years old, and over three days, arranged to meet her for sex. Unbeknownst to Miles, the 14-year-old was a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity.

Miles arranged to meet the fictional child at a convenience store, and officers arrested him when he arrived at the location. The officers searched Miles’ phone pursuant to a search warrant and discovered that Miles, posing as a teenage high school student, had also developed an online relationship with an actual minor. During their communications, Miles persuaded the minor to engage in sexual activity and to send him the illicit photographs. Miles had pleaded guilty on September 25. He was also ordered to forfeit the electronic devices he used to commit the offenses, and to pay a $5,000 special assessment.

“This case is another example of our successful partnership with HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office taking a very dangerous sexual predator out of the community and putting him behind bars, where he can never harm a child again,” stated Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Middle District Florida Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 16,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child exploitation material, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2017, more than 2,700 child predators were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 900 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page. HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.