A Missouri, couple has been indicted by a federal grand jury for producing child pornography.
Mark John Millman, 36, a citizen of Great Britain and a legal alien resident, and his wife, Tara Sau Millman, 41, were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Feb. 23. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Mark and Tara Millman on January 29, 2021. The Millman’s have been in federal custody since their arrest, and remain detained without bail.
The federal indictment charges the Millman’s together in one count of using a minor to produce child pornography and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the investigation began when agents with Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, California, began investigating users of a cloud storage platform (identified in court documents as “Cloud Platform A”). The cloud platform provides encrypted, cloud-based services that enable private, secure online storage, communication, and collaboration for businesses and individuals. During the investigation, the agents accessed a web link to an encrypted chat room with approximately 145 registered users. Files containing child pornography were uploaded/posted by participants in the chat room, the affidavit says, including Mark Millman.
A search warrant was executed at the Millmans’ residence in Taney County, Mo., on January 28, 2021. According to the affidavit, images and videos of child pornography were found on both Mark and Tara Millman’s cell phones. Among those photos, the affidavit says, were images of the Millmans’ sexual abuse of child victims.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
