Federal prosecutors say a Myrtle Beach pastor who once preached about redemption is now facing charges for tormenting his estranged wife in the months before she died by suicide. The indictment accuses John-Paul “JP” Miller of harassing Mica Miller, tracking her movements, and sharing an explicit photo of her without consent, turning their breakup into a campaign of digital and real-world control. The case is forcing a hard look at how spiritual authority, technology, and intimate partner abuse can collide with deadly consequences.
The cyberstalking case behind Mica Miller’s death
According to federal court filings, a grand jury in Columbia indicted Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller on one count of cyberstalking and one count of making false statements, charges that carry a potential prison term and a fine of up to $250,000 if he is convicted. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Carolina, say the conduct began while divorce proceedings were underway and continued right up to Mica’s death, alleging a pattern of unwanted messages, surveillance, and threats that fits squarely within the federal definition of stalking. The Attorney Office in FLORENCE framed the case as a stark example of how digital tools can be weaponized inside a marriage.
Investigators say that beginning in November 2022, Miller used phones, apps, and social media to keep tabs on his estranged wife, sending a stream of messages that Mica did not want and allegedly threatening to expose private material if she did not comply with his demands. The indictment also claims he lied to federal agents about some of his conduct, which underpins the false statement charge and adds to the legal jeopardy he now faces. Court records cited in the indictment describe how Miller allegedly warned that intimate images would be released in court, underscoring how sexualized humiliation became part of the pressure campaign.
Harassment, nude photo, and a suicide ruled by police
Federal prosecutors say the harassment did not stay confined to text bubbles. They allege that Miller tracked Mica’s car, showed up where she was staying, and shared a naked photo of her without consent, behavior that, if proven, would move the case from ugly divorce to criminal abuse. One filing describes him as a disgraced South Carolina pastor who stalked his estranged wife and posted a naked photo of her, with investigators arguing that the image was used to intimidate and shame her at a time when she was trying to separate her life from his. That allegation is central to the cyberstalking count and is detailed in an indictment that labels him a Disgraced South Carolina church leader.
By the time Mica died, online records show that Mica and John-Paul were already in the process of getting a divorce, and police in North Carolina ultimately ruled her death a suicide after finding her body near a church where she had driven alone. Authorities say she left messages that pointed to her own state of mind, but the federal case focuses on what was happening around her in the months leading up to that drive. Investigators say the couple’s separation, the alleged stalking, and the explicit photo all unfolded in the shadow of their ministry, with Online court records documenting how Mica and John-Paul were fighting over their future even as she was planning her exit.
From church pulpit to federal courtroom
The criminal case has now pulled a onetime local religious star into the harsh light of a federal courtroom. Federal prosecutors charged Miller with cyberstalking and making false statements after a lengthy investigation, and he is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Florence for an arraignment that will formally lay out the accusations and his plea. Local coverage notes that the hearing will walk through THE CHARGES and give the public its first look at how the government intends to prove that the harassment crossed the line into a federal crime, with Federal filings spelling out how the couple’s split escalated.
Reporters following the case say the disgraced South Carolina pastor is expected to stand before a judge in Florence on Monday, with the proceeding marking his first formal appearance in the federal system since the indictment was handed up. Legal analysts have pointed out that arraignments are usually quick, but in a case this charged, even routine steps like reading the indictment and entering a plea will be closely watched. Coverage previewing the hearing notes that Monday’s appearance could also surface new details about how prosecutors say Miller used his role at the church to keep leverage over his wife.
A pattern of control and the broader domestic violence picture
For those who knew Mica, the indictment reads less like a surprise and more like a formal acknowledgment of what they say she endured. Her lawyer has described a period of “528 days” of escalating emotional and psychological abuse, including stalking, harassment, intimidation, and manipulation that did not always leave visible bruises but still left deep damage. Advocates say that pattern fits what they see in many coercive relationships, where technology, finances, and spiritual authority are all used to keep a partner in line, a dynamic laid out in detail by a legal team that has been telling Stalking stories from Mica’s final months.
Federal investigators say the alleged stalking included tracking Mica’s vehicle and sending messages to others about where she was, behavior that prosecutors argue was meant to isolate and frighten her rather than reconcile the marriage. One account describes how, nearly two years after her death, the case finally reached the point of indictment, with officials outlining how Miller allegedly used location data and social media to keep tabs on her movements and to spread information about her car. That timeline is now part of a broader narrative that casts him as a Pastor Husband Charged, a phrase that captures both the intimacy of the relationship and the severity of the accusations.
What the indictment says, and what comes next
According to the indictment, federal prosecutors allege that Miller’s conduct caused substantial emotional distress and placed Mica in reasonable fear of serious harm, which are key elements of the cyberstalking statute. They say he used electronic communications, GPS tracking, and public shaming to maintain control even after she tried to leave, and that he then misled investigators when they began asking questions about his behavior. One detailed summary notes that, according to the indictment, federal prosecutors believe his actions fit a pattern similar to other high-profile domestic violence cases, a comparison that has been drawn alongside coverage of Brian Walshe and other defendants accused of targeting their spouses.
At the same time, law enforcement has been careful to separate the state’s ruling on Mica’s death from the federal charges now facing her husband. Police have ruled her death a suicide, and prosecutors are not accusing Miller of directly causing her to take her own life, but they are arguing that his alleged harassment formed a devastating backdrop to her final decisions. Coverage of the case notes that South Carolina pastor John Paul Miller is now formally charged with allegedly cyberstalking his wife before she died, with federal filings spelling out the timeline between their separation and her death. That framing, laid out in detail in reports that say South Carolina pastor John-Paul and Mica Miller were locked in a volatile split, will now be tested in court as the disgraced church leader trades the pulpit for a defense table.
For now, Miller remains a lightning rod in Myrtle Beach and beyond, with some former congregants expressing shock and others saying the indictment simply confirms long-whispered concerns about his behavior. Commentators tracking the case have described him as a disgraced South Carolina figure whose legal troubles extend beyond this single indictment, pointing to other civil disputes and allegations that have dogged his ministry. One recent roundup noted that John Paul Miller is now facing scrutiny on multiple fronts, a reality that underscores how quickly a carefully curated pastoral image can unravel once the curtain is pulled back.
More from Vinyl and Velvet:
Leave a Reply