A cruise ship passenger has been arrested after an inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers uncovered child pornography images on his phone.
He was detained at PortMiami after returning from a cruise aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon.
Jason Alan Miller, 48, faces charges of transportation and possession of child pornography, according to an arrest sheet. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison.
Foster Dad Admits Guilt, Arrested at Miami
The man from Kingsport, Tennessee, was traveling with his pregnant wife and eight young children. He and his wife have fostered 20 children. Seven of the previous foster children whom the couple have since adopted were among those on the cruise vacation. The children are all aged between 5 and 12 years.
Miller admitted to possessing the CSAM, stating no one else had access to his phone. The arrest affidavit said Miller was selected for secondary inspection and “pursuant to border search authority,” officers found several photos of suspected CSAM saved in a Google folder after Miller gave officers a passcode to access the device. The folder contained 45 illicit images.
The Miller family had disembarked from their cruise, which visited the Cayman Islands, on September 13. He was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service and then booked into the Broward County Jail, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
He was later transferred back into federal custody.
CBP officers routinely check devices without a warrant during secondary searches at border points. Although rare, CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) discoveries have been made during searches of cruise passengers.
Earlier this year, ship guest Matthew Kutcher from Pennsylvania was stopped and searched at Miami and was found to have several CSAM videos.
He was charged and later signed a plea deal.
