KEITH MILLER STALKER FROM GATESHEAD ESCAPES JAIL DESPITE HORRIFIC CRIMES AGAINST TEENAGE GIRLS

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Gateshead, Keith Miller, a former police officer, narrowly avoided imprisonment after being convicted of stalking a 14-year-old girl over a period of three and a half months. The incident marked the second time Miller, aged 34, had subjected a teenage girl to a campaign of harassment, leaving her terrified and emotionally distressed.

Keith Miller, who was previously stationed at Whickham near Gateshead, engaged in a series of inappropriate and perverted communications with the young girl. His actions included sending her explicit text messages that caused significant distress. The girl, who was only 14 at the time, became so frightened that she was afraid to leave her home at night, fearing further contact from Miller. Despite the severity of his actions, Miller was allowed to remain free after magistrates were convinced by probation reports that he did not pose a threat to the public.

The court proceedings revealed that Miller had been convicted in September of the previous year for sending grossly offensive and indecent text messages to another 14-year-old girl in April 2002. Following that conviction, he completed a 160-hour community punishment order and subsequently resigned from the police force. It was during this period that the girl he was messaging exchanged mobile numbers with him. Miller falsely claimed to be 25 years old but did not disclose his occupation as a police officer.

The mother of the latest victim, who has three other children, expressed her outrage and concern over the situation. She recounted how her daughter confided in her about the ongoing messages, which initially seemed harmless but soon turned increasingly crude and threatening. The mother explained, "She told me not to worry because he was a police officer. He kept texting her and she would reply to him. He’d say things like he wanted to take her away to a sun-drenched beach, stuff like that. At one stage he wanted to meet her but I refused to let her go and thank God I did."

The mother further described the escalating nature of Miller's messages, which became more explicit and disturbing. She revealed that Miller would even send texts while her daughter was in school, describing in detail what he wanted to do to her and what he had in his possession. "He described how he wanted to strip her uniform off and what he’d do to each part of her body. And he was saying what he had in his hand and what he was doing with it," she said. The emotional toll on the girl was profound, leading her to develop severe anxiety and self-harm behaviors. The mother shared that her daughter was so overwhelmed that she started taking Paracetamol like sweets and was found attempting to slash her arms with blades hidden in her pencil sharpener.

Expressing her disgust, the mother stated, "I was disgusted a police officer could build up the trust of a 14-year-old girl like that for his own sick perverted reasons."

Police investigations revealed that Miller had been under surveillance since March of the previous year. Officers tracked his movements and observed him stalking his latest victim at her school bus stop. The authorities confirmed that Miller had been actively waiting for the girl and engaging in inappropriate behavior.

In court, Miller pleaded guilty to one charge of harassment. He was sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order, which includes the requirement to complete 100 hours of unpaid work supervised by a probation officer. Additionally, he was ordered to pay costs amounting to £225. The court was informed that Miller had moved away from the area and had no plans to return.

Gavin Doig, representing Miller, stated that his client did not intend to frighten the girl and expressed remorse for his actions. He emphasized that Miller had relocated and did not plan to come back to Gateshead, suggesting that he was genuinely sorry for his conduct.