Mason City man faces 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal child porn charge
MASON CITY — A Mason City man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal child pornography possession charge.
The US Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa’s office says 46-year-old Cleon Mitchell Junior made the plea on Wednesday in US District Court in Sioux City. At the plea hearing, Mitchell admitted that from August 2022 to April 2024 that he used chat applications to receive and possess visual depictions of child pornography which involved a prepubescent minor or minor under the age of 12.
Snapchat had reported Mitchell’s account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who in turn reported the information to law enforcement. Law enforcement connected the account back to Mitchell and obtained a search warrant for his home and electronics. During the search warrant execution, Mitchell admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography and that it would be located on his phone.
Mitchell faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. A sentencing date was not immediately scheduled.
