Albert Miller Jr.

WARSAW — An Argos man was sentenced today, March 1, on charges of solicitation after sending nude photographs to a local girl and inviting her to a hotel.

Albert Miller Jr., 561 North Michigan St., Argos, was sentenced to one and half years at the Indiana Department of Corrections and one and half years on probation for child solicitation of a child between 14 and 16 years old, a level 5 felony.

According to court documents, the charges stemmed from an incident that occurred last summer. On June 6, an officer with the Mentone Police Department spoke with a witness who advised that she found two photographs of a male’s genitals and text messages about meeting at a hotel room with Miller on the victim’s cellphone. Miller also asked the victim to send him photographs of herself.

The witness advised she knew the man was Miller because she recognized the phone number and Miller in the photographs. Officers called the number that sent the photographs and Miller answered the phone.

The officer obtained copies of the nude photographs and text message conversations from the victim’s phone. In the text messages, Miller requests photographs and tells the victim that he would help her take the photos if he was there. Miller then told the victim that he had a dream about them kissing and doing other things in a hotel room. Miller told the victim that they needed to get a hotel room for a night, weekend or two weekends.

During the sentencing, Miller’s lawyer Jay Rigdon stated the incident in question occurred during “A time of stress,” in Miller’s life. Rigdon stated Miller’s lack of criminal convictions as an adult demonstrate this was an isolated incident in Miller’s life.

Miller stated, “I take full responsibility for my actions.”

Judge David Cates stated he agreed with Rigdon that this appeared to being out of character for Miller. “I see no evidence of you being hard wired this way,” said Cates.