INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis City-County Councilman Jeff Miller has requested a special prosecutor oversee charges of child molesting filed against him earlier this month.
Miller’s attorneys, Jennifer Lukemeyer and James Bell, filed the motion to appoint a special prosecutor on Miller’s behalf on Wednesday.
The case has already been moved to Hendricks County following the recusal of Judge Mark D. Stoner. Instead, Hendricks Co. Judge Mark A. Smith will be the presiding judge.
Miller, who represents District 16, was charged on Nov. 17 with three counts of child molesting.
MORE | Indy City-County Councilman Jeff Miller charged with child molestation
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, the investigation began when a 10-year-old girl came forward claiming Miller had massaged her and made her uncomfortable on more than one occasion.
The child’s father said they were watching the news about Harvey Weinstein and were using it as a “teachable” moment when their daughter told them what had happened.
The young girl told investigators that she would spend time at Miller’s house on occasion and he would use some of the massagers from his “basket of massagers” to massage the kids. She said Miller would use the massagers on her back and under her shirt and up her leg, sometimes uncomfortably close to her groin.
The child described several occasions when the “uncomfortable touching” occurred.
Several other children interviewed by investigators gave similar stories of Miller’s “massage basket” and how he would massage them on their back and legs while they were playing and watching movies at his home. Most of the children did not feel uncomfortable around Miller or with his touching, but a couple of the girls did say there were times when he got “too close” to certain areas.
Despite the charges against him, and calls for him to step down, Miller has not yet resigned his seat on the council. He attended a community meeting Monday night for the Carson Heights Neighborhood Association.
MORE | Indy Councilor Jeff Miller attends community meeting amid child molestation charges
Also on Monday, Judge Smith signed five protection orders against Miller on behalf of unnamed parties.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Smith had not ruled on the request to appoint a special prosecutor.
An initial hearing on the case was scheduled for Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. in Hendricks County Superior Court.
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