Police: Lehighton man lured girl to cemetery, assaulted her

A Lehighton man has been charged with rape of a minor.

Daniel Miller Jr., 23, of the 200 block of South Fourth Street, faces charges on two counts each of corruption of minors, sexual exploitation of children, and unlawful contact with a minor, along with one count each of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, and indecent assault forcible compulsion.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Detective Matt Arner of the Lehighton Borough Police Department:

At 10:50 a.m. Nov. 9, officer Joel Gulla of the Lehighton Borough Police Department received a call from Lehighton Area High School regarding naked and partially naked pictures that had been discovered of a 15-year-old female student who was now in the school office with her mother.

Gulla spoke with the girl, her mother and school resource officer Peter Salerno.

The mother said someone showed her inappropriate text messages and photos of her daughter that had been sent to her cellphone by Miller.

The victim and her mother came to the police station and identified the photos as ones Miller took in the wooded area behind the South Fourth Street cemetery about two weeks earlier.

The victim said Miller took the photos of her on two occasions with his cellphone.

The victim said the first occasion was over the summer months at the Gnaden Huetten Cemetery on South Fourth Street. The victim said Miller had a bag of lingerie and asked her to try it on for him.

The victim said that Miller took photos using his cellphone of her in various states of undress while she was trying on the lingerie.

The victim said that Miller took photographs using his cellphone and touched her.

When they left, Miller gave the victim a gift card with about $400 on it.

The second incident occurred about two weeks ago.

Miller brought a white bag and directed her to the wooded area to the rear of the cemetery.

The victim said Miller led her into the woods where he opened the bag and pulled out two lingerie outfits and told her to try them on.

She said she tried to leave and refused to try them on, but Miller blocked her exit and forced her to try the outfits on.

The victim also said that while photographing her, Miller touched her and asked her to have sex with him, but she refused. She said Miller grabbed her and sexually assaulted her.

The victim said that when Miller was done, he handed her $10 cash.

On Nov. 9, a search warrant was served at Miller’s residence. A cellphone matching the description by the victim was seized, and women’s lingerie matching those seen in the picture with the victim were found.

Miller was taken to the police station and admitted to a relationship with the victim, and that he bought her lingerie and took photos of her at the Gnaden Huetten Cemetery.

Miller denied forcing her to have sex with him, but admitted that on Oct. 28 he had sex with her.

Miller added that he was aware of the victim’s age, but did not see age in their relationship.

Miller is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000, 10 percent bail.

Miller is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday before District Judge Eric Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.