Former Keizer man sentenced to 30 years for sexually abusing foster child

During Casey Ray Miller's time as a foster parent in Keizer, one of his foster children — an infant girl — left his care with seven broken bones.

He was convicted of two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment for injuring the girl and withholding medical treatment. He was sentenced to 13 days in jail and ordered to have no contact with foster children and undergo anger management treatment and probation. 

But another girl, police later found out, also suffered abuse under Miller's care.

Over the course of two years, Miller was accused of repeatedly sodomizing the foster child. She was only 5 years old when the abuse started. 

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Miller, 34, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday after he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree sodomy. 

The victim's mother spoke through angry tears at his sentencing hearing. 

"You have done things to my daughter that could never be undone," she said. "You took away her innocence."

Having her family separated was painful enough, she said, but learning of the years of abuse and neglect endured by her children while they were under Miller's care was an "indescribable pain."

She said she felt like her concerns over her children's' care were ignored by officials. She urged others to never dismiss these worries. 

"(It's been) a living hell for my family ... a nightmare we cannot wake up from," she said. 

Her daughter, now 11, stood up and quietly addressed Miller. She said she was mad at Miller and sad about the other kids he hurt. 

"I also hope I will never see you again," she said. "You were supposed to take care of me ... instead, you molested me."

Prosecutor Gillian Fischer asked Miller be sentenced to 30 years for sodomizing the girl and violating his probation from the earlier abuse case.  

Before Marion County Judge Susan Tripp delivered her sentence, the adoptive mother of Miller's previous victim spoke. 

Her daughter still suffers the physical and emotional damage of having both her arms and legs broken, she said. 

"She was damaged by someone who was supposed to take care of her," she said. "I hope you will never again have the opportunity to hurt a child."

Miller declined to speak on his behalf. His attorney, Manuel Perez, said he hoped Miller would be placed in a prison close to his family in Salem. Miller wanted to be able to have family visits, which would be hard from a prison in Ontario. 

Tripp sentenced Miller to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of post-prison supervision with no eligibility for early release, alternative programs or good time. 

"There're no words that truly encapsulate how your behavior will damage these (children) for the rest of their lives," she said. 

It's a crime she sees all too often in her courtroom. 

"If they put you in Ontario, that's fine with me," Tripp said. "How you ruined these families' lives, that's the court's concern."

The victims' attorney, Steven Rizzo said he planned to address the Oregon Department of Human Services' role in the girls' abuse in a civil lawsuit. 

"It's just another tragedy written and directed by DHS," he said. 

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

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