Cleon Mitchell, Jr., a 46-year-old resident of Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty to possession of child pornography in a federal court in Sioux City on April 30, 2025.
During the plea hearing, Mitchell acknowledged using Kik and Snapchat to receive and hold images and videos of child pornography from August 2022 through April 2024, involving a prepubescent minor or a minor under the age of 12. Snapchat detected suspicious activity on Mitchell's account and reported it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which subsequently informed law enforcement. Authorities traced the account back to Mitchell and executed a search warrant at his residence. Mitchell confessed during the search, indicating child pornography could be found on his phone. An analysis confirmed he possessed 30 videos and 50 images, some depicting sadistic or masochistic acts and featuring prepubescent children and toddlers.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice aiming to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division, the project pools federal, state, and local resources to find, apprehend, and prosecute those exploiting children and to rescue victims. Further information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc. Details on Internet safety education are also available on the same website, under the “resources” tab.