Arson and child porn suspect uses stolen underwear to start fires, Wisconsin cops say

A suspected serial arsonist is accused of stealing underwear to start fires across a Wisconsin county, police say.

He’s charged with child pornography possession, too.

In late March, Fond du Lac authorities investigated a fire at the home of an 88-year-old woman, who was able to escape to safety after smoke detectors alerted her of the danger, according to court documents. Investigators determined the suspicious fire started outside the house in two spots — a dryer vent and a window.

Three other suspicious fires happened that day, including at a mobile home, vacant house and another property. It appeared men’s underwear was used to start a fire at the empty house, while a bra and child’s swimsuit were used at the third property, police said.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release the next day seeking help in solving the mystery.

Investigators had a breakthrough a few days later when Michael L. Miller, a 43-year-old resident of North Fond du Lac, told a police officer about a suspicious black car he spotted the night of the fires, according to court documents.

But police officers soon turned their attention to Miller as a suspect.

They questioned Miller at the police department for more information about the black car, and he brought up several other fires he knew about, police said.

Miller was brought in for another interview several weeks later. This time the investigators confronted him with evidence, including video, and Miller told them he set nine fires in the county between September and April, police said.

Meanwhile, a police officer examined Miller’s cellphone and found thousands of pornographic images, including photos of nude children, according to court documents.

Miller told investigators during the interview that he was wearing women’s underwear, which he buys at stores, but the underwear he used to start the fires was taken from laundromats, police said.

A day later, Miller admitted to starting three other fires, bringing the total to a dozen and providing investigators with previously unreported details, police said.

Miller told police he set fire to a marsh with purple underwear, a storage unit with a pair of white women’s underwear, and stuffed underwear in the siding of a home that was engulfed in flames by the time first responders arrived, according to court documents.

“Arson is a serious crime that can jeopardize the lives of residents and puts the safety of firefighters and other first responders in danger as they work these scenes,” Sheriff Rayn Waldschmidt said in a news release.

In all, Miller was charges with 27 offenses, including child pornography possession, arson, burglary, felony criminal damage to property and recklessly endangering safety.