Fort Pierre man convicted of sexual exploitation of minor

FORT PIERRE, SD (DRGNews) – A 66-year-old Fort Pierre man was sentenced this week to five years in the South Dakota State Penitentiary, with one year suspended, during a hearing at the Stanley County Courthouse in Fort Pierre.

Stanley County District Attorney Tom Maher says the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor charge against Frank Loring Miller, Jr. stems from an incident on June 16, 2022, in which an underage teen was offered money in exchange for sex. The charge is normally a Class 6 felony, but Miller was on probation for a previous drug possession conviction. Because of that prior conviction, Maher says, the charge has been upgraded to a Class 5 felony.

Miller pleaded guilty in June 2024.

Before imposing sentence, a Sixth Circuit judge considered information from a preliminary investigation, a psychosexual evaluation, and submissions from all interested parties.

Miller will be eligible for parole after serving approximately 40 percent of the four-year sentence. He must also complete specific sex offender treatment, comply with sex offender registration requirements and follow any other court-ordered rules.

Maher says the case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office.