Feds indict man for having and producing child porn | Miller County is already holding him on a rape charge

Michael Beam
Michael Beam

TEXARKANA, Ark. - A man facing a state charge of rape in Miller County circuit court has been indicted for production and possession of child pornography in federal court.

Michael Ray Beam, 30, was arrested in October 2020 by the Miller County Sheriff's Office for rape involving a 13-year-old girl. The case against Beam began with an investigation into online solicitation of a minor by police in Wake Village, Texas, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Beam allegedly threatened to kill the girl he met on social media if she "snitched" on him and threatened to stop giving her food and money if she didn't comply with his requests for sexually oriented photos and videos. The girl allegedly described being sexually assaulted by Beam at a location in Texarkana, Arkansas.

"(The alleged victim) mentioned in her interview that Mr. Beam said that he likes young girls and that she was the youngest he has had," the affidavit states.

Beam appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant for arraignment on a four-count indictment charging him with three counts of production of child pornography and a count of possession of child pornography in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas. Beam pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Count one alleges that Beam enticed or coerced a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating a visual depiction of the conduct in December 2019. Counts two and three allege that Beam coerced a 15-year-old girl to produce sexually explicit images in May and July of 2020.

Count four alleges that Beam possessed images of child pornography including some involving children under 12 in September 2020.

Beam's federal public defender waived the issue of detention at his arraignment hearing Tuesday. He is currently being held in the Miller County jail. If convicted of rape in Miller County, Beam faces 25 to 40 years or life in prison.

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