NEW BERN, N.C. – A former Liberty University student was sentenced Thursday to 26 years in federal prison for making and trading child pornography with dozens of people, according to authorities.
Justin Milam, 22, of Raleigh, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in October to manufacturing child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, Milam must pay a $4,000 fine. After his release, he will be under supervision for the rest of his life.
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Milam used a messenger service to request pornographic images from minors between the ages of 13 and 17. Because he produced child pornography more than once with multiple minors, Milam is classified as a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors.
Authorities were led to Milam after a 2015 tip from Google that pointed to a registered sex offender in California. After further investigation, authorities found that the sex offender had been using an instant messenger app to exchange over a thousand images and videos of child porn with others, including Milam.
Analysis of the emails and IP addresses used to share the pornography revealed that Milam used an IP address directly associated with Liberty University, which led police to confirm that he was enrolled at the university during the time of his offenses.
During a search of Milam's residence, police seized his cellphone and external hard drive. Examination of the hard drive revealed that over a thousand images and videos of child porn were in Milam's possession.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level.