Wheeling business owner charged after allegedly uploading child pornography with Kik messenger app

WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) — A Wheeling business owner is facing criminal charges after being charged with distributing or exhibiting material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

According to a court complaint from the Ohio County Magistrate Court, Sr. Trooper C.E. Smith received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that contained seven uploaded files depicting child pornography.

The criminal complaint states that the messaging service Kik submitted the complaint to NCMEC.

It is stated that Trooper Smith was able to subpoena and track down the IP Address of the individual who allegedly uploaded the images on July 28, 2023, which came back to Matthew Robert Miller, 33, of Valley Grove.

According to the complaint, the cyber tip also indicated that the Kik app logged into a different IP Address that was tracked down to 2804 Wood Street, where Miller rented a building for his business.

It is reported that a search warrant was issued on April 22, 2024, and executed two days later. A Google Pixel 4XL and an Android 13, both belonging to Miller, were seized and transported to the Moundsville Police Department to be analyzed by a digital Forensic Analyst.

According to the complaint, approximately 32 images of suspected child pornography were found, as well as images of suspected child erotica. The analysis also shows that the Kik messenger app that was used to upload the files was purchased on August 30, 2021.

No other details have been provided at this time.

This is an active and ongoing investigation. Stay with 7News for future updates.