Jury convicts Missouri man of sexual exploitation of a child following ICE HSI, law enforcement partner, investigation

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Diamond, Missouri, man has been convicted at trial for the sexual exploitation of a child following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.

Terry Lee Miksell, 65, was found guilty on Tuesday of one count of producing child pornography and one count of using the internet and a cell phone to induce a child to engage in sexual activity.

At the time of the offense, Miksell was employed as a counselor at a Purdy, Mo., drug treatment facility.

Facebook initiated two CyberTips in September 2019 after locating sexually explicit messages and images between Miksell and a 16-year-old victim. Miksell asked the child victim in Facebook Messenger chats to send him sexually explicit images and videos. She told investigators she sent those images and videos at his request. Miksell also sent pornographic pictures of himself to the child victim.

Officers executed a search warrant at Miksell’s residence on Jan. 16, 2020, and seized several devices, including a cell phone. The cell phone contained a pornographic video of the child victim.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before returning guilty verdicts on both counts to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, March 28.

Under federal statutes, Miksell is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James J. Kelleher, Stephanie Wan, and Ami Harshad Miller.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and Internet safety education (click on the tab "resources"), please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

For resources to protect children from online predators, visit HSI's iGuardians program. HSI’s Project iGuardian is focused on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness. The project is an outreach effort to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity. In addition, the iGuardians team is available to help kids stay safe online by providing safety tips, a number to call, and a website with links to more information and resources. To request an iGuardian presentation at your school or organization, email iguardian@ice.dhs.gov. To report a crime, call 866-347-2423 (TTY for hearing impaired: 802-872-6196). Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.

HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Learn more about HSI’s mission to fight child exploitation @HSIKansasCity.