On-Duty Assault in the Park: Ex-Colorado Cop Sentenced to 17 Years for Sexually Abusing Minor

A former Loveland, Colorado police officer who used his badge to isolate and sexually assault a teenage girl in a park while he was on patrol was sentenced Wednesday to 17 years in federal prison.

Dylan Miller, 30, stood before a federal judge in Denver as the sentence was handed down for a single count of willfully depriving the victim of her civil rights while acting under color of law. The prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release.

A jury convicted Miller on Dec. 2, 2025, after hearing evidence that on the evening of Aug. 3, 2023, into the early morning hours of Aug. 4, he encountered the minor victim and her friend at North Lake Park in Loveland. Wearing his uniform and carrying the authority of the Loveland Police Department, Miller ordered the victim’s friend to leave. He then guided the girl to a more secluded area of the park and sexually assaulted her.

“Dylan Miller abused his power as a police officer to target, isolate, and sexually assault a minor in his care,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the Civil Rights Division will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who betray their duty to protect and serve.”

U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly for the District of Colorado directly addressed the victim in his statement. “Today, I think of the victim and hope she takes some solace knowing that a jury unanimously condemned the defendant’s criminal conduct and the court has now expressed how serious that conduct was with this lengthy prison sentence.”

“The actions of Mr. Miller were not only harmful to the individual he swore under oath to protect, but they also undermined public trust and confidence in law enforcement,” said Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski of the FBI Denver Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority.”

He Babysat a Child While Stationed in Germany. Years Later, Three More Victims Came Forward. Now He Faces 30 Years.

A federal jury in West Virginia convicted a former U.S. Army soldier Tuesday of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, capping a case that spanned two decades, two continents, and the courageous testimony of multiple victims.

Dustin Stover Bowles was on active duty with the United States Army, stationed in Hanau, Germany, between September and December 2006 when he sexually abused a child he was babysitting at his home, according to court documents and trial evidence. The victim disclosed the abuse in 2020 to several trusted adults and to Army criminal investigators, launching an investigation that ultimately exposed a pattern of predation.

Three additional victims testified at trial that Bowles had sexually abused them while they were asleep.

Bowles was charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which allows the U.S. to prosecute crimes committed abroad by members of the armed forces. The jury convicted him of one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 3 and faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison.

“Because of the victim’s courageous disclosure, years after being abused, the jury held Dustin Bowles to account,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the Department’s commitment to protecting children from abuse and exploitation, even abuses committed decades ago and overseas.”

U.S. Attorney Moore Capito for the Southern District of West Virginia described the crime as a calculated act of predation. “Bowles preyed on a child entrusted to his care and committed a calculated, predatory act that shattered that trust in the most unforgivable way,” Capito said. “Those who target children will be found and brought to answer for it — wherever they are and no matter how long it takes.”

Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office said the uniform made the crimes all the more egregious. “No matter the circumstances, no matter where you are in the world, the FBI will investigate, find, and bring to justice those who think they can prey on the most vulnerable members of our community,” Evanchec said.

Dark Web Moderator Who Shared Thousands of Child Abuse Images Sentenced to Over 29 Years in Prison

A New Jersey man who served as a moderator on a dark web forum dedicated to the trafficking of child sexual abuse material was sentenced Wednesday to 350 months—more than 29 years—in federal prison.

Drew Holzlein, 57, of Manchester, New Jersey, was an active participant and moderator on the site from approximately 2019 until his arrest in January 2024, according to court documents. He admitted to law enforcement that he had been a member of the dark web platform for years and that he shared thousands of sexually explicit images of nude, prepubescent minors with the site’s many users.

A search of Holzlein’s home in January 2024 uncovered multiple electronic devices containing images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of prepubescent children. During the search, Holzlein told investigators about his long-standing role as a moderator, prosecutors said.

“By serving as a moderator on a dark web forum devoted to the dissemination of child sexual abuse material, the defendant did not merely enable exploitation — he curated and sustained a marketplace of depravity,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey. “This sentence marks a critical measure of accountability and affirms my Office’s unwavering commitment to vindicating the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable.”

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the case sends a message that anonymity on the dark web offers no shield. “Holzlein and his co-conspirators will not skate by because of the anonymity afforded by the dark web. We will still find you,” Duva said.

Holzlein had previously been convicted in New Jersey on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the FBI Newark Field Office. Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division said the arrest of Holzlein allowed investigators to disrupt additional offenders. “The FBI will continue to track down these criminals, ensure that they are held accountable for their crimes, and secure justice for their victims,” Janke said.