Pornography Raid at Day-Care Home Brings Indictment

LOS ANGELES — A federal grand jury Thursday indicted a Placentia man in connection with a cache of child pornography seized last week by federal agents in a raid at his home, where his wife operated an unlicensed day-care center.

The indictment against George F. Milledge was returned eight days after agents seized magazines, photos and videotapes from the trunk of a car parked in his garage.

Federal prosecutors said there is no evidence that the children in Judy Milledge’s care were involved in any kind of illegal activity or pornography. Nonetheless, county officials closed the day-care operation the day after the Dec. 10 raid.

The three-count indictment charges Milledge with violations of the federal Child Protection Act. The act prohibits the mailing or transporting of pornographic material involving minors.

Sales Manager

Federal agents described Milledge as a sales manager for an automobile accessories company. He also works most weekends as an Orange County youth football referee, according to the Orange County Football Officials Assn. Milledge has not been arrested but will be ordered to appear in federal court Jan. 26 for arraignment on the charges, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Charles J. Stevens. Milledge’s attorney said he is concerned about the legality of the search conducted by U.S. Postal Inpection Service and Customs Service agents.

“I’m going to determine if the search was legal under the Fourth Amendment,” said William A. Dougherty, Milledge’s attorney, in an interview Thursday. “It appears the material recovered was outside the search warrant because the warrant does not say ‘trunk.’ ” Acting on a search warrant issued by a federal magistrate, agents seized magazines, videotapes, photographs and films of minors engaged in sexually explicit poses from Milledge’s car. Inside the home, they confiscated numerous videotapes featuring adults and teen-agers involved in sexual acts, sexual paraphernalia, magazines, a video camera, letters and bank records, according to documents filed in federal court.

The indictment’s first count is based on Milledge’s alleged possession of two magazines mailed from Sweden, entitled Chicken NR2 and Dream Boy 13. The magazines feature young boys in sexually explicit poses, the indictment said.

The second count is based on a color photograph of a nude young boy that allegedly was mailed to Milledge from Denmark. The third count related to three videotapes featuring young boys and girls engaged in sex. The tapes were mailed to Milledge from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., the indictment alleges. Stevens said each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. In response to Dougherty’s concern about the legality of the search warrant, Stevens said the warrant did not need to specify the trunk of the car because it covered both the house and garage on Kilmer Drive.

He said Milledge will be allowed to come into court on his own because it is not likely that he will flee. Milledge has lived in Orange County for years and “has a wife and three kids,” Stevens said.

Meanwhile, Dougherty said, Milledge is working and trying to keep a low profile.

“He has been very concerned,” Dougherty said in an interview Thursday. “It’s no fun when 15 guys show up at your house.”

2 Hours of Questioning

After searching the house, Dougherty said, several agents took Milledge to the Placentia Police Department for two hours of questioning. During the interview, they showed him the two magazines from Sweden.

“Milledge had never seen them,” Dougherty said. He said a package containing the magazines had been delivered to the Milledge home shortly before federal agents raided it.

“His name is on it (the package), but that doesn’t mean he ordered it,” Dougherty said.

Milledge could not be reached for comment.