Man faces charges in child sex case

The man thought he was going to have sex with a woman and her daughter, Lake County sheriff's detectives say.

By REBECCA CATALANELLO, Times Staff Writer
Published December 14, 2007

TAMPA - A Tampa man is in a Lake County jail after detectives say he drove to Clermont to have sex with a 32-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter.

According to Lake County sheriff's detectives, Kenneth Gene Miller, 51, of 8337 Canterbury Lake Blvd.began communicating with the woman on Nov. 5 using the Yahoo! screen name "KMiller56."

Unknown to Miller, however, the woman was a male undercover sheriff's detective.

Miller agreed in a number of online chats and recorded phone conversations to meet the woman and her daughter for sex, deputies said. He offered to bring a pornographic movie to help show the child what could be done, they said.

Detectives met Miller at 11 a.m. Thursday in Clermont, where, they say, he told them he used his work laptop to chat with the woman. They said he planned to have oral sex with the child and brought a condom, which detectives found in his truck.

Also in his possession, his arrest affidavit says, were two pornographic movies and a thumb drive with several images of child pornography.

Miller listed his occupation as a project manager with Advanced Engineering Systems in Tampa. The Times left a message with the company's answering service late Thursday, but no one with the company could be reached for comment.

Miller is charged with traveling to meet with a minor for the purpose of committing a crime, attempted capital sexual battery on a person under 12, violating the prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscenity, and attempted lewd and lascivious molestation, according to his arrest report.

Lake sheriff's Sgt. John Herrell said Detective Chris Loyko is one of two detectives who regularly troll the Internet looking for sex offenders seeking prey.

A woman reached at Miller's home phone declined to talk about the incident, saying she'd only just learned of the arrest.

[Last modified December 14, 2007, 00:48:37]