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SALT LAKE CITY — A West Jordan man scheduled for trial this week on charges that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy in a motel room has instead agreed to a plea deal.
John Terry Miller, 50, was facing a first-degree felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with the teenager and was scheduled to go to trial this week. On Sept. 12, Miller pleaded guilty in 3rd District Court to a reduced charge of unlawful sexual conduct with the teen, a third-degree felony, as well as to dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony; and admitted to showing pornographic materials to the teenage boy.
In June 2018, Miller approached a 17-year-old boy who was in front of a convenience store "scrounging for money" and saying he needed to call his grandmother. Miller offered to take the teen back to his motel room so he could use his phone, according to charging documents.
Once there, "Miller gave him some pills to 'help with his anxiety," police say, and the teen began blacking out. When the teen regained consciousness, he was being sexually assaulted by Miller, the charges state. The incident was recorded on Miller's phone, according to police.
In a statement submitted to the court last week, Miller said he "took indecent liberties with a minor" knowing that the person was a minor or negligently not knowing the age of the minor.
Miller was already a registered sex offender at the time of the incident due to previous convictions.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 31.
