A South Carolina pastor has been accused in a lawsuit of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1998 before allegedly sexually assaulting her again more than two decades later.
Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller, whose wife, Mica Miller, died by suicide, is being sued by the anonymous woman. Miller’s father, Solid Rock Ministries, All Nations Cathedral Church and The Cathedral Baptist Church of the Grand Strand are also named in the 43-page complaint, which was filed Tuesday in Horry County Circuit Court.
Mica Miller’s death in April last year captivated the nation, with many questioning the official ruling of suicide in the case, and pointing fingers at her husband. No allegations against Miller have been sustained.
The woman filing the complaint – identified only as Jane Doe – is suing for negligence, civil conspiracy, assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller, whose wife, Mica Miller (bottom left), died by suicide, is being accused of rape and sexual assault by an anonymous woman, following two alleged incidents in 1998 and 2023 (screengrab/Solid Rock Church)
Cathedral, Solid Rock, and their employees had the opportunity to prevent harm against vulnerable children, but “ignored clear warning signs of minors being sexually exploited or abused by church staff, members, or volunteers,” the suit states.
The lawsuit argues that despite knowledge of John-Paul Miller’s behavior, his father and church officials took steps to cover up and even suppress the reporting of his actions, and allowed him to remain in a position of authority.
The suit claims that Jane Doe at the age of 15 in 1998 attended the All Nations Church, formerly known as Cathedral Baptist Church of the Grand Strand Inc., with her grandparents when it was run by Miller’s father, Reginald Wayne Miller.
There she encountered Miller, then 19, who was employed as a youth leader. During a conversation, the suit claims, Miller forced Doe into his father’s office and later to his truck, where he allegedly raped her.
Last April Mica Miller made a call to 911 and asked a dispatcher if they could track her location. She was found dead the same day. The cause of death was later ruled a suicide (Facebook)
Doe “did not fully comprehend the nature of what had happened to her” and repressed the trauma of the incident until decades later when she encountered Miller again in 2023. He the, despite being in a public setting, allegedly put his hands down her pants and touched her genitals without consent, according to the suit.
“This church was JPM’s sexual playground,” the lawsuit states, adding that when Doe learned about the death of Miller’s wife she felt “immense guilt,” and believed if she had spoken up about her experiences, she may have prevented further harm to others.
Neither Miller nor his attorney responded immediately to a request to comment from the Myrtle Beach Sun News, one of a number of news outlets in the state that reported on the lawsuit.
On April 27, 2024, Miller’s wife, Mica Miller, made a call to 911 and asked a dispatcher if they could track her location. When the dispatcher asked why, Mica said she was about to kill herself and that she wanted her family to be able to locate her body.
Mica Miller’s death captivated the nation and the true crime community, with many questioning the official ruling of suicide in the case, and pointing fingers at her husband (Facebook)
Earlier in the day, she was captured on security footage purchasing a gun at a pawn shop. She was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Lumber River State Park in North Carolina.
Those questioning her death have pointed to her husband as the primary suspect and have accused him of abusing his wife. Their allegations have not been substantiated.
Late last year the FBI searched John-Paul Miller’s home in the Myrtle Beach area, but he was not arrested nor named as a suspect in his wife’s death.
Miller has strenuously denied any involvement with his wife’s death.
