Woman says former firefighter sexually abused her, fears he will avoid punishment
FOX4 has agreed to protect her identity.
Independence police chief on leave, fires back at 'baseless rumors' in FOX4 interview
The former metro firefighter, who has been hailed a hero, is charged with criminal sodomy. There was a hearing for him Thursday in Johnson County, but not much happened.
The unidentified woman said she is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of Trevor Miller.
The City of Overland Park and the Overland Park Fire Department (OPFD) are aware of an investigation into a former OPFD employee.
'As soon as the city became aware of the allegations, the former employee was placed on administrative leave,' a spokesperson with the OPFD told FOX4. 'Within a week of being placed on leave, the employee submitted his intention to retire immediately.
'He is no longer an employee of the city or the fire department. The city and Fire department are fully cooperating with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office investigation.'
Miller was employed with the city from 1990 to 2023.
'He should be held more accountable for what he's done,' she said. 'For me, personally, growing up, I looked to him as a hero. He's a firefighter for the city. He saves lives.'
Miller has been charged with one count of criminal sodomy, from an incident that happened when she was 14. The charge was filed in 2024.
'I knew Trevor growing up as my mother's friend. I saw him occasionally,' she told FOX4.
The incident, which occurred in 2012, was reported to law enforcement in October of 2023.
At that time, she said Miller was an adult she thought she could confide in.
'In the summer of 2012, I ended up meeting up with him,' she said. 'He took me out to look at Harleys. He taught me how to pump my gas, and he took me to his house and did inappropriate things to me and took me home.'
She said she's worried that Miller may get offered a plea agreement – instead of being held accountable for what he's done.
Miller has pleaded not guilty to the charge. The case was continued Thursday.
The City of Overland Park's website still highlights his efforts to bring a 9/11 memorial to town.
'I don't think he is someone to be looked to as a respectable, trusted member of the community,' she said.
'People should know he's a monster.'
Court documents also show that Miller was involved with the 'Camp Inferno' program, which introduced girls to firefighting—and 'he had to be reminded he wasn't there for socializing.'
Records show he exchanged information with campers.
'I would definitely say there was grooming. I would definitely say there was sexual abuse,' she said.
'I do encourage people to come forward, but I definitely understand why many don't.'
She told FOX4 that she remained silent until 2023, but was driven by two factors to speak out:
Having a child of her own
The birth of Miller's daughter
FOX4 made several attempts to contact Miller's attorney by phone and email; neither inquiry was returned.
FOX4 also reached out to the Johnson County District Attorney, who did not comment on the case.
Miller has another hearing scheduled for mid-July.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
LI Rep. Garbarino to lead powerful House Homeland Security Committee
Long Island Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino is set to become the next chair of the powerful House Homeland Security Committee. The South Shore representative edged out fellow Congressmen Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) and Clay Higgins (R-La.) in a committee vote Monday for the highly coveted role, which oversees the panel that deals with a portfolio of domestic security issues. 'As a lifelong New Yorker and representative of a district shaped by 9/11, I understand the stakes of this responsibility. 'Never forget' is more than a slogan,' Garbarino said in a statement. 'It is a commitment I have carried with me throughout my entire adult life and one that will continue to drive my work. 'We have serious work ahead of us. Securing the border, confronting terrorism, strengthening our cybersecurity, and hardening our national defenses are all critical to keeping Americans safe.' Advertisement Garbarino will be succeeding former Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who has resigned from the House, shrinking the GOP's razor-thin edge in the lower chamber. 3 Long Island GOP Rep. Andrew Garbarino has served on the House Homeland Security Committee throughout his tenure in Congress. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images 3 The committee's previous chairman, Mark Green, resigned from the House this month to pursue another gig. REUTERS Advertisement Green tendered his resignation after the passage of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act for a mysterious new job that reportedly involves business opportunities in Guyana. The retired rep drew headlines in September after his wife accused him of having an affair and filed for a divorce. She alleged that he was having a dalliance with a woman employed by Axios at the time but later backtracked. 3 Garbarino pointed to his experiences in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while vying for the chairmanship role. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Garbarino, who was first elected to the House in 2020, raised eyebrows himself in May for snoozing through an all-night marathon session of Congress debating the House's first iteration of the Big Beautiful Bill. Advertisement The rep, who has served on the Homeland Security Committee throughout his tenure, won the panel' chairmanship in a vote by the House Steering Committee, which works to assign lawmakers to various committees in the lower chamber. Now his nomination will head to the House Republican Conference, which usually rubber stamps recommendations from the steering panel. The Long Island Republican has been the chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection since 2023. Advertisement He also previously served as an impeachment manager against former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who survived the effort by the GOP-led House to oust him.
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Hinsdale Citizen Police Academy opens lines of communication with community
The Hinsdale Police Department is accepting applications for its annual fall Citizen Police Academy, which was started in 2001 and has been praised by former participants. The next session begins Sept. 3 and runs through Nov. 12, with weekly Wednesday meetings scheduled from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Hinsdale police Officer Karen Kowal said participants must be at least 18 years old and typically range in age from 28 to 70. 'The course is intended for citizens who reside or work in Hinsdale,' she said. 'However, exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis, if there are remaining open spots after the application deadline.' She said the classroom space allows for up to 15 participants each session. 'Smaller classes also help us foster a more personal feel for participants, while interacting with our officers,' Kowal said. She said the goal of the program is to improve communication with the community, while also gaining citizen input, assistance and support. 'The Citizen Police Academy is a free, educational and informative program, which provides participants a comprehensive view of the challenging, yet crucial, work carried out by the Hinsdale Police Department,' Kowal said. 'This program does not create part-time police officers. It is yet another mechanism for our police department to inform the public about what we do, while also allowing participants to meet many of our police officers on a more personal level.' Kowal said another goal of the Academy is to provide a broad overview of important topics with opportunities for the class to be interactive and hands-on. 'Each class builds knowledge and insight that is helpful for each of the following weekly classes,' she said. Information will cover the department's hiring process, procedures and training, the foundation of what provides police powers, the Field Training Program, the Drone Program, the foundation and risks of traffic stops, DUI investigations, the M.E.R.I.T. ('SWAT') team, crime scene processing, the Hinsdale Police Department investigations division and more Kowal said. 'Participants will go hands-on with crime scene investigations, K-9 demonstrations, and traffic stops, to name a few,' she said. 'Also, participants will get the opportunity to experience what it is like to be on patrol in Hinsdale, as they ride in a police car with one of our officers for a four-hour ride-along.' Kowal said there are generally anywhere from one to three officers presenting during any given class session. 'We aim to allow officers to present on their different areas of interest, while also allowing participants to learn from as many different officers as possible,' she said. 'We also coordinate with several outside agencies to present on other important topics, such as dispatching and K-9 programs.' Hinsdale resident Bryan Clapacs, 57, has lived in the village for 15 years and participated in the Police Academy in 2023. '(I had) curiosity and wanted to show support for law enforcement officers that have been unfairly portrayed in the media,' he said, adding that participating gave him a better understanding of what Hinsdale police deal with on a day-to-day basis. His favorite parts of the Academy were getting to know the officers and the ride along. 'I believe that more people should be required to attend this academy and/ or other community outreach programs,' Clapacs said. 'I believe if they attended, more of the public would be more appreciative of our police, and the officers would understand more of the public concerns.' Another 2023 Academy participant was Daniel Krzywiec, 44, who has lived in Hinsdale for seven years. 'I believe in being an informed and engaged member of the community, and this program gave me the opportunity to see the challenges officers face, the procedures they follow, and how they serve the public,' he said. 'It also helped build mutual respect and communication between citizens and the police, which I think is really important.' Krzywiec said he got more than he expected out of the Academy. 'I thought it would be mostly lectures, but it was very hands-on,' he said. 'We got to see real scenarios, interact with officers, and even experience some of the tools and training they use. I gained a much better understanding of how law enforcement operates and the difficult decisions officers have to make. It also helped me build trust with local police and see them as real people doing a tough job.' Mark Sahlol, 44, has lived in Hinsdale for four years and experienced the Police Academy last year. 'I decided to participate because I wanted to learn more about the police and offer help, after having the proper knowledge, if needed,' he said. 'The experience was better than what I expected. There was a lot of exciting information to learn, and the staff was very friendly and supportive.' Marzena Powala, 45, has lived in Hinsdale since February 2022 and was another participant in last year's Academy. 'I also saw it as a valuable opportunity to meet new people and, most importantly, to broaden my knowledge of law enforcement and public safety,' Powala said. 'it was the best experience ever. 'One experience I will always remember is the evening spent patrolling our town alongside a police officer. I can confidently assure our residents that we are served by some of the most dedicated and passionate law enforcement professionals in the county.' Michael Siffermann, 38, is a four-year resident of Hinsdale and participated in the Academy in 2022. 'Many of my family members are in law enforcement, so I was naturally interested in getting a look into local police operations,' he said. 'But it was also a good chance to connect with other members of the community — fellow classmates and the Hinsdale PD officers. It definitely enhanced my understanding of the type of work Hinsdale PD does and deepened my appreciation and respect for our officers.' Krzywiec said he recommends the Citizens Police Academy to all Hinsdale residents and anyone who wants to understand their community better. 'It breaks down barriers, builds respect, and shows just how much goes on behind the scenes to keep us safe,' he said. 'It's eye-opening and definitely worth the time.' Applications for the Academy are due by Aug. 15 and may be completed online at or by picking up an application in the Police Department lobby, 121 Symonds Drive.
The Intercept
8 hours ago
- The Intercept
State Cops Quietly Tag Thousands as Gang Members — and Feed Their Names to ICE
Police gang databases are known to be faulty. The secret registries allow state and local cops to feed civilians' personal information into massive, barely regulated lists based on speculative criteria — like their personal contacts, clothing, and tattoos — even if they haven't committed a crime. The databases aren't subject to judicial review, and they don't require police to notify the people they peg as gang members. They're an ideal tool for officials seeking to imply criminality without due process. And many are directly accessible to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. An investigation by The Intercept found that at least eight states and large municipalities funnel their gang database entries to ICE — which can then use the information to target people for arrest, deportation, or rendition to so-called 'third countries.' Some of the country's largest and most immigrant-dense states, like Texas, New York, Illinois, and Virginia, route the information to ICE through varied paths that include a decades-old police clearinghouse and a network of post-9/11 intelligence-sharing hubs. Both federal immigration authorities and local police intelligence units operate largely in secret, and the full extent of the gang database-sharing between them is unknown. What is known, however, is that the lists are riddled with mistakes: Available research, reporting, and audits have revealed that many contain widespread errors and encourage racial profiling. The flawed systems could help ICE expand its dragnet as it seeks to carry out President Donald Trump's promised 'mass deportation' campaign. The administration has cited common tattoos and other spurious evidence to create its own lists of supposed gang members, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to send hundreds to El Salvador's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center prison, also known as CECOT. Gang databases The Intercept identified as getting shared with ICE contain hundreds of thousands of other entries, including some targeted at Central American communities that have landed in the administration's crosshairs. That information can torpedo asylum and other immigration applications and render those seeking legal status deportable. 'They're going after the asylum system on every front they can,' said Andrew Case, supervising counsel for criminal justice issues at the nonprofit LatinoJustice. 'Using gang affiliation as a potential weapon in that fight is very scary.' Information supplied by local gang databases has already driven at least one case that became a national flashpoint: To justify sending Kilmar Abrego Garcia to CECOT in March, federal officials used a disputed report that a disgraced Maryland cop submitted to a defunct registry to label him as a member of a transnational gang. The report cited the word of an unnamed informant, Abrego's hoodie, and a Chicago Bulls cap — items 'indicative of the Hispanic gang culture,' it said. The case echoed patterns from Trump's first term, when ICE leaned on similar information from local cops — evidence as flimsy as doodles in a student's notebook — to label immigrants as gang members eligible for deportation. As Trump's second administration shifts its immigration crackdown into overdrive, ICE is signaling with cases like Abrego's that it's eager to continue fueling it with local police intelligence. Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council, argued that this kind of information-sharing boosts ICE's ability to target people without due process. 'This opens the door to an incredible amount of abuse,' she said. 'This is our worst fear.' In February, ICE arrested Francisco Garcia Casique, a barber from Venezuela living in Texas. The agency alleged that he was a member of Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang at the center of the latest anti-immigrant panic, and sent him to CECOT. Law enforcement intelligence on Garcia Casique was full of errors: A gang database entry contained the wrong mugshot and appears to have confused him with a man whom Dallas police interviewed about a Mexican gang, USA Today reported. Garcia Casique's family insists he was never in a gang. It's unclear exactly what role the faulty gang database entry played in Garcia Casique's rendition, which federal officials insist wasn't a mistake. But ICE agents had direct access to it — plus tens of thousands of other entries from the same database — The Intercept has found. Under a Texas statute Trump ally Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in 2017, any county with a population over 100,000 or municipality over 50,000 must maintain or contribute to a local or regional gang database. More than 40 Texas counties and dozens more cities and towns meet that bar. State authorities compile the disparate gang intelligence in a central registry known as TxGANG, which contained more than 71,000 alleged gang members as of 2022. Texas then uploads the entries to the 'Gang File' in an FBI-run clearinghouse known as the National Crime Information Center, state authorities confirmed to The Intercept. Created in the 1960s, the NCIC is one of the most commonly used law enforcement datasets in the country, with local, state, and federal police querying its dozens of files millions of times a day. (The FBI did not answer The Intercept's questions.) 'This opens the door to an incredible amount of abuse.' ICE can access the NCIC, including the Gang File, in several ways — most directly through its Investigative Case Management system, Department of Homeland Security documents show. The Obama administration hired Palantir, the data-mining company co-founded by billionaire former Trump adviser Peter Thiel, to build the proprietary portal, which makes countless records and databases immediately available to ICE agents. Palantir is currently expanding the tool, having signed a $96 million contract during the Biden administration to upgrade it. TxGANG isn't the only gang database ICE can access through its Palantir-built system. The Intercept trawled the open web for law enforcement directives, police training materials, and state and local statutes that mention adding gang database entries to the NCIC. Those The Intercept identified likely represent a small subset of the jurisdictions that upload to the ICE-accessible clearinghouse. New York Focus first reported the NCIC pipeline-to-immigration agents when it uncovered a 20-year-old gang database operated by the New York State Police. Any law enforcement entity in the Empire State can submit names to the statewide gang database, which state troopers then consider for submission to the NCIC. The New York state gang database contains more than 5,100 entries and has never been audited. The Wisconsin Department of Justice, which did not respond to requests for comment, has instructed its intelligence bureau on how to add names to the NCIC Gang File as recently as 2023, The Intercept found. Virginia has enshrined its gang database-sharing in commonwealth law, which explicitly requires NCIC uploading. In April, Virginia authorities helped ICE arrest 132 people who law enforcement officials claimed were part of transnational gangs. The Illinois State Police, too, have shared their gang database to the FBI-run dataset. They also share it directly with the Department of Homeland Security, ICE's umbrella agency, through an in-house information-sharing system, a local PBS affiliate uncovered last month. The Illinois State Police's gang database contained over 90,000 entries as of 2018. The data-sharing with Homeland Security flew under the radar for 17 years and likely violates Illinois's 2017 sanctuary state law. 'Even in the jurisdictions that are not inclined to work with federal immigration authorities, the information they're collecting could end up in these federal databases,' said Gupta. Aside from the National Crime Information Center, there are other conduits for local police to enable the Trump administration's gang crusade. Some departments have proactively shared their gang information directly with ICE. As with the case of the Illinois State Police's gang database, federal agents had access to the Chicago Police Department's gang registry through a special data-sharing system. From 2009 to 2018, immigration authorities searched the database at least 32,000 times, a city audit later found. In one instance, the city admitted it mistakenly added a man to the database after ICE used it to arrest him. The Chicago gang database was full of other errors, like entries whose listed dates of birth made them over 100 years old. The inaccuracies and immigration-related revelations, among other issues, prompted the city to shut down the database in 2023. Other departments allow partner agencies to share their gang databases with immigration authorities. In 2016, The Intercept reported that the Los Angeles Police Department used the statewide CalGang database — itself shown to contain widespread errors — to help ICE deport undocumented people. The following year, California enacted laws that prohibited using CalGang for immigration enforcement. Yet the California Department of Justice told The Intercept that it still allows the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office to share the database, which contained nearly 14,000 entries as of last year, with the Department of Homeland Security. 'Each user must document their need to know/right to know prior to logging into CalGang,' and that documentation is 'subject to regular audit,' a California Department of Justice spokesperson said. Read Our Complete Coverage Local police also share gang information with the feds through a series of regional hubs known as fusion centers. Created during the post-9/11 domestic surveillance boom, fusion centers were meant to facilitate intelligence-sharing — particularly about purported terrorism — between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Their scope quickly expanded, and they've played a key role in the growth of both immigration- and gang-related policing and surveillance. The Boston Police Department told The Intercept that agencies within the Department of Homeland Security seek access to its gang database by filing a 'request for information' through the fusion center known as the Boston Regional Intelligence Center. In 2016, ICE detained a teenager after receiving records from the Boston gang database, which used a report about a tussle at his high school to label him as a gang member. Boston later passed a law barring law enforcement officials from sharing personal information with immigration enforcement agents, but it contains loopholes for criminal investigations. In the two decades since their creation, fusion center staff have proactively sought to increase the upward flow of local gang intelligence — including by leveraging federal funds, as in the case between the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department and the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, which works directly with the Department of Homeland Security. An email from 2013, uncovered as part of a trove of hacked documents, shows that an employee at the Maryland fusion center threatened to withhold some federal funding if the D.C. police didn't regularly share its gang database. 'I wanted to prepare you that [sic] your agency's decision … to NOT connect … may indeed effect [sic] next years [sic] funding for your contractual analysts,' a fusion center official wrote. 'So keep that in mind…………..' Four years later, ICE detained a high schooler after receiving a D.C. police gang database entry. The entry said that he 'self-admitted' to being in a gang, an Intercept investigation later reported — a charge his lawyer denied. For jurisdictions that don't automatically comply, the Trump administration is pushing to entice them into cooperating with ICE. The budget bill Trump signed into law on the Fourth of July earmarks some $14 billion for state and local ICE collaboration, as well as billions more for local police. Official police partnerships with ICE had already skyrocketed this year; more are sure to follow. Revelations about gang database-sharing show how decades of expanding police surveillance and speculative gang policing have teed up the Trump administration's crackdowns, said Gupta of the American Immigration Council. 'The core problem is one that extends far beyond the Trump administration,' she said. 'You let the due process bar drop that far for so long, it makes it very easy for Trump.'
