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Marine, scout leader center of large child porn case in Livingston Parish

4 years 4 months 1 day ago Tuesday, November 26 2019 Nov 26, 2019 November 26, 2019 12:22 PM November 26, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ TV

DENHAM SPRINGS – Local authorities said they are not involved in the arrest of a man facing 500 counts of pornography involving juvenile charges.

Randy D. Miller, Jr., was arrested Tuesday morning and booked into the Livingston Parish jail where his bond was set at increasing amounts – lastly, an unprecedented $50 million.

The case is led by the Attorney General’s Office.

WATCH: Surveillance video shows law enforcement meetup before massive child porn raid, arrest

Neighbors told WBRZ Miller was taken into custody after a flurry of unmarked law enforcement vehicles descended on the quiet cul de sac in the South Haven community off Walker South Road.

Tax records show Miller owns the home with his wife.

Neighbors said they did not know much about the family, only that Miller had two children and was in the armed forces. On his Facebook profile, Miller claimed to be a Marine with expertise in weaponry.

Authorities did not make information available about the investigation which comes about a month after the disturbing arrest of a couple on similar charges.

In October, Dennis Perkins and his wife Cynthia were arrested on various sex crimes charges involving children. Dennis Perkins was, until he was arrested, a Livingston Parish Sheriff’s deputy. Cynthia Perkins was a school teacher.

Perkins was a teacher at Westside Junior High.

The neighborhood where Randy Miller, the man at the center of the new case Tuesday lives, is within the attendance zone for Westside Junior High.

Reached Tuesday, an attorney for Dennis Perkins said there has been no communication between Perkins and authorities, amid conjecture the cases may somehow be connected.

In a statement about the most recent case, state authorities said Miller’s arrest was a result of a joint investigation with the Attorney General’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, State Police, Homeland Security, FBI, and ATF.

Neighbors said there may have been concern surrounding Miller’s background in firepower and described authorities’ special care as the arrest unfolded in the neighborhood Tuesday.

The Attorney General’s Office released a brief comment Tuesday: “Child pornography is a dreadful crime that inflicts lifelong damage to the victims.”

Attorney General Jeff Landry said, “I applaud my office and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the despicable people who possess, distribute, and produce these horrific sexual abuse images and videos.”

Miller appears active in an area Boy Scout group.  Until late Tuesday, Miller was listed as the district Pinewood Derby host.  The Boy Scouts and Nawaganti District of the Istrouma Council where Miller was once listed as a volunteer waited to comment but the group quickly scrubbed any mention of Miller from its website after news broke. 

The Nawaganti District is the area scout district for East and West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee parishes, western Livingston Parish, and Wilkinson County, Mississippi.

Late Tuesday, the Boy Scouts released a statement after seeing media reports: 

“We were shocked and disturbed to learn about the allegations against this individual. These actions are reprehensible and run counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) stands. Upon learning of these claims, we took immediate action to remove this individual and prohibit him from any future participation in our programs.

Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in our Scouting programs – it is our top priority. The Boy Scouts of America has a multi-layered process of safeguards informed by experts, including the following, all of which act as barriers to abuse: a leadership policy that requires at least two youth-protection trained adults be present with youth at all times and bans one-on-one situations where adults would have any interactions alone with children – either in person, online, or via text; a ban on the use of recording devices/cell phones near bathrooms and shower houses; a thorough screening process for adult leaders and staff including criminal background checks, and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. 

For more information about the BSA’s youth protection policies, please visit: www.scouting.org/youth-safety.”

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Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz

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