Northport Theater Director Accused of Lewd Act, Endangering Child

Northport police arrested Robert J. Miller, 35, Friday night on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and public lewdness.

 Miller, who is a technical director with the Northport Community Theater, is also a math teacher at Smithtown West High School.

Police gave the following account:

At about 8:16 p.m. on Friday, Miller was directing the youth theater group  at the William J. Brosnan Administration Building. 

He asked a 15-year-old female member of the group to accompany him outside to assist him in checking on a motor issue of his car.  Once outside, Miller instructed the girl to sit in the car and rev the engine while he looked under the car.  Miller told the girl to take off one of her shoes and socks so she could “feel the vibration of the gas peda,l” which she did. The girl soon noticed that Miller was standing behind her, outside the drivers’ side door.  He had his pants zipper down, his hand in his pants and he was masturbating.  Miller told the girl to look forward and watch the dashboard gauges.  After a moment she looked at Miller again and he was still masturbating.  She then got out of the car and went back into the school building.  The Northport Police were notified and Miller was arrested.  Miller was arraigned in Northport Village Justice Court and released on $2,000 cash bail.

The Northport Police Department notified the Northport/East Northport and Smithtown School Districts and the director of the Northport Community Theater.

Though the incident took place at the William J. Brosnan Administration Building. which is a Northport/East Northport School District facility, the theater is not affiliated with the district.

It is believed that there may be other victims that were subjected to this behavior by Miller.  If anyone feels they were a victim of Miller in the Northport area, contact Det. Peter Hayes or Det. Peter Howard of the Northport Police Department at (631)261-7500.  If anyone in the Smithtown area believes they are a victim of Miller, they should call the Suffolk County Police Department’s Fourth Precinct Detective Squad at (631)854-8452.

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