BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Richard W. Mills, 50, of Brevard County, to 10 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervision for possession of images depicting child sexual abuse.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of Mills’ computer and hard drive, which were used to commit the crime, and mandated restitution payments totaling $12,000. Mills pleaded guilty to the charges on April 16, 2024.
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Court records show that Mills had previously been convicted in U.S. District Court in Orlando on November 20, 2014, for possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Mills completed his prison term on November 13, 2019, when his supervised release began.
On November 2, 2023, U.S. Probation officers conducted an unannounced inspection of Mills’ workplace following a citizen complaint. This inspection was to ensure compliance with a condition of his supervised release that prohibited him from using any computer or device with internet access without approval. The investigation led to a search of Mills’ home, where officers found a smartphone and a computer. A federal search warrant revealed that Mills’ computer contained approximately 330 images and a video depicting the sexual abuse of infants and young children.
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In addition to the 10-year sentence, Mills was also sentenced to six months in federal prison for violating the terms of his supervised release, with the sentence to be served consecutively to the 10-year term.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
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