Tennessee man charged after border search uncovers child pornography on phone at PortMiami
Federal authorities say a father traveling with eight children and a pregnant wife was found to possess explicit material involving minors during a random secondary search by Customs and Border Protection.
A Tennessee man disembarking from a Carnival Horizon cruise at PortMiami was charged after investigators said his phone contained child sexual abuse material. Jason Alan Miller, 48, was returning with his pregnant wife and eight children, seven of whom he adopted after fostering them, when Customs and Border Protection officers pulled him from the security line for a secondary search of his device.
Miller voluntarily provided the passcode to unlock his Samsung Galaxy, and investigators quickly found photos and videos depicting female children being sexually abused, according to a federal affidavit. One folder containing 45 illicit images was named '6yo_rare', suggesting the victims were six years old. His children, who ranged in age from five to 12, were present with him at the time. Records show he has fostered approximately 20 children at his Tennessee home.
Following the discovery, Miller was detained at the port and transported to Broward County Jail by U.S. Marshals before being returned to federal custody. He has been charged with possession and transportation of child pornography. If Miller is convicted on both charges, he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
CBP officers routinely search the phones of people re-entering the United States, whether they are citizens or not. Travelers are not legally required to provide passwords to officers or unlock their devices, but refusing to do so can result in delays or confiscation of the device. Border agents do not have the power to deny entry to a U.S. citizen solely based on a refusal for a search. Noncitizens, however, can face broader consequences if they decline.
The incident follows a separate case in which Matthew Kutcher, a Pennsylvania man, was traveling through the port of Miami after a cruise and was found with at least 10 videos of child pornography on his phone. Court records show Kutcher signed a plea agreement on July 10 that will place him in prison for the next decade at minimum, underscoring ongoing enforcement efforts at U.S. ports of entry.
CBP has the authority to warrantlessly search electronic devices at ports of entry, a power that continues to draw scrutiny as officials seek to balance security interests with privacy concerns while addressing the broader fight against child exploitation.