TEXARKANA, Ark. - A Miller County jury sentenced a Texarkana man to 25 years in prison Friday after finding him guilty of sexual misconduct with a 6-year-old boy.
Everett James Miller, 51, was taken into custody after the trial. Some of Miller's supporters were escorted from the building by court security staff for unruly behavior and loud outbursts in court after Circuit Judge Brent Haltom read the verdict.
Miller, who had been free on bond, will be held in the Miller County jail until he is transported to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Miller was alone with the boy and a 3-year-old the night of Dec. 23, 2019. The boy's father testified Thursday that he had not yet pulled out of Miller's driveway the morning of Dec. 24, 2021, when his son became emotional.
The father testified that the boy told him Miller showed he and the 3-year-old videos of "naked people" on his cell phone before asking the victim if he wanted to know how it felt. The boy testified that Miller pulled his pants and underwear down and engaged in conduct that meets the definition of rape under Arkansas law.
The boy said Miller, whom he knows as "G-Daddy," told him "not to tell anybody."
Miller's genetic profile was found on samples taken from the inside of the victim's underwear. Texarkana lawyer Josh Potter argued that the DNA was likely transferred innocently when the boy spent the night at Miller's home Dec. 23, 2019.
Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell argued that depositing Miller's DNA inside the boy's boxer briefs occurred when Miller molested the child.
Under questioning by Potter, Miller testified Thursday that he caught the then 6-year-old victim and the 3-year-old watching pornography on his phone and "hollered" at the victim the morning of Dec. 24, 2019. Miller testified that the boy likely fabricated the story because he had just been verbally disciplined.
Under cross-examination, Mitchell questioned Miller about his claim.
"Am I to understand that a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old have your phone, and go to the browser, and type in Porn Hub or something like that?" Mitchell asked.
Miller replied, "It was the 6-year-old."
After Miller's testimony Thursday morning, Mitchell recalled the victim's father to the stand. The father testified that at the time of the child's outcry, the boy was only permitted to use a cell phone with no internet connection to play games.
Mitchell pointed out that the victim's account of the abuse has never changed.
"There is no way a 6-year-old could perpetuate a lie for a year and a half," Mitchell argued in closing.
Mitchell reminded the jury that the 3-year-old's mother and the victim's mother testified that the 3-year-old told them on the night of Dec. 24, 2019, that they had watched video of people without clothes and that Miller had pulled the 6-year-old's pants down.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotton urged the jury to question why Miller didn't mention anything to the young boy's parents if his claim that the victim used his phone to view internet pornography was true.
"That's odd. That's strange. It doesn't make common sense," Cotton argued. "It fits with (the victim's) story that Everett Miller told him not to tell anyone about this. Everett Miller didn't think he would tell."
Cotton and Mitchell spoke of the victim's bravery and thanked the jury for their service.
"This was a very emotional case," Mitchell said. "I am so grateful to the members of the jury for their verdict and sentence. Victims of sexual abuse need to know they will be heard and child sex offenders will be prosecuted."