A Brevard County man who had previously been found guilty of possessing child pornography has been punished again for similar crimes.
Richard W. Mills, 50, received a 10-year federal prison sentence followed by life supervision for possessing photographs of child sexual abuse.
Mills must surrender a computer and hard drive used to perpetrate the act, as ordered by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron, and pay $12,000 in restitution, according to a Department of Justice release.
Mills, who pleaded guilty on April 16, faces the repercussions of breaking the terms of his supervised release following a 2014 conviction in which he served nearly seven years in federal prison.
On November 2, 2023, U.S. Probation officers conducted an unannounced check at Mills’ workplace, which resulted in a home search, showing his possession of a smartphone and computer, both of which he was forbidden from accessing without restriction under his release conditions.
During the justified search, officers uncovered around 330 photos and one video depicting the terrible abuse of newborns and children on Mills’ laptop.
Following this revelation, the courts sentenced Mills to an additional six months in jail for violating his supervised release; this sentence will be added once he completes the 10-year term.