Great Lakes Wire

A Farmington Hills man, Justin Miller, 23, has been charged with possession and production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and interstate transmission of extortionate threats and threatening communications. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., along with Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

According to the federal criminal complaint, Miller participated in online groups as a Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE). NVEs are described as individuals who engage in criminal activity motivated by political, social, or religious goals based on hatred for society and an aim to destabilize it. The complaint states that Miller was an administrator of an online group that encouraged self-harm among its members. He is accused of urging victims to inflict “cutsigns”—cutting his screenname into their skin—and allegedly grooming underage girls to produce sexually explicit content.

“The alleged crimes are sick and twisted. Nihilistic violent extremists shamefully terrorize vulnerable victims in our communities to create chaos and instability,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. “We will do everything in our power to root out and prosecute this perverse behavior.”

"The federal charges announced today against Justin Miller reaffirm the FBI’s unrelenting commitment to protecting children from exploitation,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "Safeguarding our children from violence, coercion and exploitation is a top priority for the FBI. I extend my gratitude to the dedicated members assigned to this investigation, who will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, as this case moves forward.”

The investigation is being conducted by agents from the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Ramamurthy.

Authorities emphasize that a criminal complaint is only a formal charge and not evidence of guilt; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.