MYRTLE BEACH PASTOR INDICTED IN FEDERAL CYBERSTALKING CASE TIED TO PROLONGED HARASSMENT OF ESTRANGED WIFE BEFORE HER DEATH

A federal grand jury has indicted a Myrtle Beach pastor on charges of cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators, alleging a sustained campaign of harassment, surveillance, and coercive control directed at his estranged wife in the months leading up to her death.

John Paul Miller, 46, was charged in a two-count federal indictment returned in Columbia, South Carolina. Prosecutors allege that beginning in November 2022 and continuing until April 27, 2024, Miller engaged in an escalating pattern of conduct designed to intimidate, monitor, and psychologically destabilize the victim, culminating in behavior that federal authorities now describe as criminal cyberstalking.

The indictment marks a significant federal intervention into a case that sits at the intersection of digital abuse, intimate-partner coercion, and post-separation violence.

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A PROLONGED CAMPAIGN OF DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROL

According to the indictment, Miller repeatedly sent unwanted and harassing communications to his estranged wife, at times contacting her more than fifty times in a single day. Federal prosecutors allege that the communications were not isolated incidents, but part of a broader effort to exert control over her movements, finances, and daily life.

The indictment further alleges that Miller posted a nude photograph of the victim online without her consent, an act prosecutors characterize as both retaliatory and humiliating. Investigators contend that such conduct was intended to inflict emotional harm and social damage, consistent with coercive control patterns documented in domestic abuse cases involving digital tools.

Beyond online harassment, federal filings allege that tracking devices were placed on the victim’s vehicle, allowing for real-time monitoring of her location. The indictment also references interference with the victim’s finances and routine activities, reinforcing allegations that the conduct extended well beyond messaging into physical-world intrusion.

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ESCALATION AND PROPERTY DAMAGE

Prosecutors allege that the harassment escalated into acts of physical interference. On at least one occasion, Miller is accused of damaging the victim’s vehicle by deflating her tires. Investigators later determined that Miller had purchased a tire deflation device online and exchanged messages with others referencing the victim’s car.

This conduct, according to federal authorities, demonstrated a progression from digital harassment to tangible acts intended to disrupt the victim’s safety and mobility.

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FALSE STATEMENTS TO FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS

The second count of the indictment alleges that Miller made false statements during interviews with federal investigators. Specifically, prosecutors allege that Miller denied damaging the victim’s tires, despite evidence showing the purchase of the device and communications corroborating his involvement.

Federal authorities emphasize that false statements during an active investigation constitute a separate criminal offense, particularly when made in an effort to obstruct or mislead law enforcement during a sensitive inquiry involving alleged abuse.

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THE VICTIM’S DEATH AND FEDERAL JURISDICTION

The indictment notes that the alleged cyberstalking campaign continued until the victim’s death on April 27, 2024. While the indictment does not charge Miller with causing her death, federal prosecutors underscore that cyberstalking statutes are designed to address sustained harassment that places victims under severe emotional and psychological pressure.

The case reflects an expanding federal focus on cyber-enabled domestic abuse, where digital tools, surveillance technology, and online exploitation are used to extend control beyond physical proximity.

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LEGAL EXPOSURE AND NEXT STEPS

If convicted, Miller faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the cyberstalking charge and up to two years for making false statements to federal investigators. He also faces potential fines of up to $250,000.

Miller is scheduled to be arraigned on January 12, 2026, in federal court in Florence, South Carolina.

The investigation involved coordinated efforts by federal and state agencies, reflecting the multi-jurisdictional nature of the alleged conduct and the overlap between digital evidence, physical surveillance, and financial interference.

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TRJ VERDICT

Cyberstalking cases like this illustrate how modern abuse increasingly unfolds across devices, platforms, and physical spaces simultaneously. What begins as unwanted communication can evolve into surveillance, humiliation, financial interference, and intimidation, particularly when perpetrators leverage technology to maintain control after separation.

The federal indictment underscores that digital abuse is not ancillary behavior. It is actionable conduct with measurable harm, capable of isolating victims and eroding their autonomy long before physical violence occurs.

This case is not defined by spectacle or labels. It is defined by persistence — sustained, methodical intrusion into another person’s life — and by the growing recognition that coercive control, when enabled by technology, carries consequences that federal law is increasingly prepared to address.

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