By Sharla Steinman
Loveland Reporter-Herald, Colo.
LOVELAND, Colo. — The former Loveland police officer found guilty of violating the civil rights of a teenage girl who accused him of sexually assaulting her while on duty Aug. 4, 2023, was sentenced to 17 years in prison Monday.
In a two-hour sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Denver, Judge Nina Wang delivered the sentence in a packed courtroom to 30-year-old Dylan Miller, who faced up to a life sentence in prison for deprivation of civil rights, a class four felony, according to the indictment.
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Miller also faces state kidnapping and sexual assault of a child charges in the same incident, and if he is convicted of those, the federal and state sentences will be served concurrently.
“I will forever be haunted by him and the terrible things he did to me,” said the teenage girl during the sentencing hearing. She used the pseudonym “Olivia” throughout the trial to protect her identity.
Olivia said Miller approached her and a friend in North Lake Park shortly after midnight and that he asked her friend to leave, according to the arrest affidavit from a Larimer County case. Miller then took Olivia to a more secluded area of the park where he made Olivia perform oral sex on him, the affidavit further states.
Jurors found Miller guilty of violating Olivia’s civil rights in December after a more than two-week-long trial and 13 hours of deliberations.
During the sentencing Monday, Olivia said she can no longer see police cars or park benches without getting flashbacks of that August night with Miller.
“He is an evil person … there is no forgiving,” Olivia said, adding she was proud of herself for coming forward, despite being afraid law enforcement or attorneys wouldn’t listen to her story.
“I will always be glad I came forward because others in the community (won’t experience what he did to me),” Olivia said during the hearing.
Miller rejected the allegations, and while delivering the sentence, Wang said Miller denied ever meeting Olivia to law enforcement, despite evidence later found of her name and date of birth written down by Miller from a previous encounter with her.
Defense attorney Kristen Frost recommended a 10-year sentence for Miller, saying he has no criminal history, was honorably discharged from the Marines after four years of service and is a married father of three. Frost said she was concerned Miller would face more difficulties in prison and a harder sentence as a former law enforcement officer, and said she was worried he wouldn’t survive prison.
“ … To take his life based on what is at issue in this case, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around it,” Frost said during the sentencing hearing. Frost also requested his sentence run concurrently with the outcome of the state charges he is facing in the 8th Judicial District Court in Fort Collins.
She added that regardless of the sentence, Miller plans to appeal.
U.S. Attorney Alecia Riewerts recommended a 45-year sentence for Miller, reasoning that he not only violated the rights of a 15-year-old girl, but that he also abused his authority as an officer and broke the trust of the Loveland community.
“Instead of choosing to protect and serve … his actions also erode the faith of the community in law enforcement,” Riewerts said. The U.S. attorney said she felt a 45-year sentence would reflect the severity of the case, protect the public, and provide respect to the law Miller violated.
Olivia’s grandfather, who was referred to as “Olivia’s grandfather” throughout the case to protect Olivia’s identity, said he and his family are living in a constant state of depression and anxiety since Olivia told them what happened to her. He described Olivia as someone who was once outgoing and gregarious but now “wants to blend into the crowd.”
“To see her spirit gone has absolutely broken my heart,” he said during the sentencing hearing, adding that he’s never felt more proud of his granddaughter for sharing her story and for persevering through life and the trial.
Before delivering the 17-year sentence, Wang said she needed to consider a sentence that was sufficient but not greater than necessary. She also took a few minutes to thank Olivia and her grandfather for speaking and to thank the family and friends of both Olivia and Miller for attending the hearing and showing their support.
Wang ultimately said she believed the multiple past interactions between Miller and Olivia were troubling and led her to believe the accused sex assault was more than a heat-of-the-moment situation. She also said that Miller denying ever meeting Olivia, despite the handwritten evidence of their interaction, was concerning. Wang acknowledged that mistakes are possible but said she believed what happened between Miller and Olivia was “much more than a mistake” based on the evidence presented during the trial.
Miller may also be required to pay between $50,000 and $250,000 in restitution, although a restitution hearing has yet to be scheduled. Upon release, Miller will face five years of probation and will have to meet certain requirements, such as mental health treatment and sex offender registration, Wang said.
Miller is still facing trial on state charges of first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault of a child from a position of trust, unlawful sexual conduct by a peace officer, sexual assault of a person with a 10-year age difference, official oppression, and first-degree official misconduct. He has not entered a plea in this case, and he is set to appear at 10 a.m. May 4 in the 8th Judicial District Court in Fort Collins, according to court records.
In a news release, Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran said the case was an extreme abuse of authority and betrayal of the community’s trust in law enforcement. The chief wrote he was disappointed the judge imposed a lesser sentence than the 45 years federal prosecutors requested.
“A 15-year-old girl should have found safety and support from a police officer. Instead, she was victimized,” Doran wrote in the emailed news release. “… While we respect the judicial process, we are sorely disappointed.”
Doran didn’t hire Miller, but when Miller was identified as a suspect and taken into custody, he was immediately terminated, the news release stated.
He added that since he became chief, all department personnel, and more than 100 employees, have signed an oath committing themselves to high standards.
No punishment can undo the harm caused to the victim, but we remain committed to accountability, transparency, and justice,” Doran wrote in the news release. “I remain confident in the men and women serving in this department today. None of us are perfect, but we are committed to holding ourselves to the highest professional, ethical, and moral standards demanded by the community, our profession, our peers, and our department oath.”
Doran said the case will continue to serve as a reminder for what the department will never allow, adding that Loveland residents can expect issues that arise within the agency will be addressed quickly.
“Justice must always be our North Star, he wrote in the news release.
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