COLUMBIA, S.C. (Court TV) — A South Carolina pastor accused of cyberstalking his wife in the months before she took her own life won a court-ordered delay for his upcoming trial as his attorneys say they are working to find evidence to exonerate him.
John Paul Miller (Myrtle Beach Police Department)
John Paul Miller, 47, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of cyberstalking and making false statements to investigators.
Federal prosecutors say that John Paul Miller began harassing his estranged wife, Mica Miller, from November 2022 until her death on April 27, 2024. The harassment allegedly included the defendant posting a nude photo of his estranged wife online, placing tracking devices on her vehicle and contacting her more than 50 times in a single day. In a press release announcing the charges, federal prosecutors said John Paul Miller also interfered with the alleged victim’s finances and damaged her vehicle’s tires on one occasion.
Mica Miller’s family settled a lawsuit against John Paul Miller in 2024; family members initially said they had filed the suit to gather evidence that the defendant psychologically abused his estranged wife, driving her to suicide. Mica Miller filed for a separation from John Paul Miller 10 days before she called 911 from a North Carolina park, saying she planned to kill herself.
After her body was found, Mica Miller’s family accused John Paul Miller of “brainwashing” her and harassing her. The two sides also battled over marital property. The settlement terms were not publicly disclosed.
This image from Ring footage shared by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office shows Mica Miller. (Robeson County Sheriff’s Office)
John Paul Miller’s federal trial has been delayed multiple times, with the latest motion stating that the defendant has “diligently been preparing his defense.” The latest request, which delayed a hearing previously scheduled for Aug. 25, said the defendant’s attorneys are working to interview witnesses for trial and obtain “potentially useful” documents not in the government’s possession.
“Defense counsel have also prepared subpoena requests for documents not in the Government’s possession but that will likely contain exculpatory information, and they have conferred with the Government for the purpose of obtaining the issuance of those subpoenas via court order,” the request says.
Judge Joseph Dawson III granted the delay, moving the trial to the October 2026 docket.
Two separate lawsuits accuse John Paul Miller of sexually assaulting girls while he was working as a teacher and a pastor at the church his father founded. The lawsuits were filed alongside an affidavit submitted to the court as part of the defendant’s custody case against his ex-wife, who said that John Paul Miller admitted to having an affair with Mica — who was the family’s nanny at the time — and had also “employed prostitutes and been sexually inappropriate with several underage female members of our church.”
John Paul Miller has not been criminally charged with any alleged sexual misconduct.
