Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Cleon Mitchell Jr., a 46-year-old man from Mason City, Iowa, has pled guilty in federal court in Sioux City to possession of child pornography. The guilty plea was entered on April 30, 2025.
During the plea hearing, Mitchell confessed to using the Kik and Snapchat applications over a period from August 2022 to April 2024 to receive and possess child pornography involving prepubescent minors or minors under the age of 12. Snapchat reported Mitchell's account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which subsequently informed law enforcement. Authorities traced the account back to Mitchell and obtained a search warrant for his residence and electronic devices. Upon executing the warrant, Mitchell acknowledged possessing child pornography, indicating it would be found on his phone. Forensic analysis of his devices uncovered 30 videos and 50 images depicting child pornography, some involving sadistic or masochistic conduct, alongside materials involving prepubescent children and toddlers.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address the escalating issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative, led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Further information on Project Safe Childhood and Internet safety education is accessible at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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