Pastor Husband Charged for Allegedly Harassing, Posting Nude Photo of Wife Mica Miller Before She Died by Suicide

Disgraced South Carolina pastor John Paul Miller, who came under the spotlight following his wife Mica Miller's 2024 death, has been indicted on allegations he stalked and harassed her before she died.

Mica, 30, was found dead at the Lumber River State Park in Orrum, N.C. on April 27, 2024, the Robeson County Sheriff's Office said at the time. Her death was ruled a suicide, even though her loved ones had expressed suspicions there was more to the case.

"This has to be at least looked into deeply. There’s got to be some accountability here,” Kenn Young, a friend of Miller's, told WDPE days after her death. "Because yeah, a tragic life was lost, and it’s not just as simple as mental health issues."

Much of the focus went to her estranged husband, 46-year-old John Paul Miller, a renowned pastor from Myrtle Beach, S.C.. He has maintained Mica died by suicide.

Now, nearly two years after her death, federal prosecutors in South Carolina have secured an indictment against John Paul on cyberstalking charges, alleging he harassed Mica in various ways between November 2022 and her death.

In a Thursday, Dec. 18 press release announcing the indictment, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina said John Paul "sent unwanted and harassing communications" to Mica during this time, allegedly posting a nude of her online without her consent.

He also allegedly had tracking devices on her vehicle and, on one occasion, contacted her over 50 times in a single day, authorities said in the statement. John Paul is further accused of damaging her tires and interfering with her finances and daily activities.

Authorities further allege John Paul lied to police about damaging Mica's tires, even though investigators found evidence that he had bought a tire deflation device and reached out to others about Mica's vehicle.

Mica's body was found by authorities after she called 911 and told a dispatcher she was about to take her own life.

Following her death, John Paul faced heavy scrutiny. A petition created in the aftermath of her death claimed Mica "lost her life due to no one helping her from being harassed and excessively stalked" by John Paul, who she was "desperately trying to get away from."

"She made report after report, no contact order was made and received no help, not even from law enforcement," the petition alleged.

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John Paul came under further scrutiny in February when an Indiana woman accused him of raping her when she was 15, and he was a 19-year-old youth church leader,

John Paul's father Reginald Wayne Miller was also named in the lawsuit, which was reviewed by PEOPLE.

“Behind their religious facade, John-Paul Miller and Reginald Wayne Miller engaged in sexual abuse and predatory conduct — often targeting minors," reads the complaint. "They used their positions of power to manipulate and exploit vulnerable victims while concealing their actions from the public."

John Paul faces a maximum of five years in prison for cyberstalking and two years for making false statements to federal investigators, according to the release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and is set to be arraigned on Jan. 12, 2026.

PEOPLE reached out to his attorney who declined to comment on the case.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.