By SHERRI KOLADE
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — Charges against a Dearborn Heights man accused of sexual misconduct with minors were dismissed by the government recently, according to a U.S. Attorney’s representative.
Sony Robert Miller, 52, was released from federal custody after the government dismissed a complaint against him June 14, when he was scheduled for a detention hearing, Public Information Officer for U.S. Attorneys Office Gina Balaya said.
“(It was) dismissed in order to allow additional time to investigate,” Balaya said.
Miller, who spent two decades in prison for first-degree criminal sexual conduct in another case, was first arrested June 12 on a federal criminal complaint on child pornography charges. Investigators also believe he may have been involved in child-trafficking, according to published reports.
The investigation began in March, when Miller was arrested for home invasion in Dearborn, according to a Dearborn police investigator.
After Miller’s arrest, Dearborn police officers allegedly found on Miller’s cell phone sexually explicit text messages and pornographic videos of minors, according to reports. One of the officers who reviewed the pictures recognized some of the children as living at Miller’s house on Roosevelt Street, according to reports.
Authorities acquired a search warrant and found five children at the residence — a 6-year-old boy, an 11-year-old boy and three girls ages 11, 12 and 15.
According to court records, several sexual text messages between Miller and the 15-year-old girl were found on her cell phone, including some that indicated Miller “purchased access” to some or all of the girls at his house, according to reports.
Miller was arraigned in U.S. District Court June 14, following a three-month investigation by U.S. Marshals, according to reports.
Dearborn Police Investigator James Isaacs, who was involved in the case, said he handed over all of the evidence relating to Miller to federal agents. Isaacs, who said he did not want to jeopardize the investigation, declined to speak about the evidence.
“If they are still continuing an investigation, I don’t want to comprise the investigation,” Isaacs said.
U.S. Attorney’s Office officials said the children were taken into protective custody, according to reports.
(Sherri Kolade can be reached at [email protected].)