DAVID MITCHELL OF CARLISLE SENTENCED FOR ONLINE ABUSE AND CHILD SEX OFFENSES
In October 2017, an online predator from Carlisle, David Nelson Mitchell, was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for heinous online offenses.A judge described his actions as "despicable, nasty and brutal." Carlisle Crown Court detailed how 49-year-old Mitchell created numerous fake internet identities to manipulate and contact unsuspecting victims.
Prosecutor Claire Larton explained that one girl, estimated to be 15 or 16 years old, met Mitchell while he falsely presented himself as "Graham, 17 years old and living in Paris." The two connected via Skype, with the girl visible to Mitchell through her camera, but he was never seen by her.
Mitchell repeatedly made sexual demands of her, sometimes multiple times daily over a period of seven months in 2015.
The court revealed that the online relationship took a sinister turn when Mitchell introduced a second persona named "Scott." Through this character, Mitchell engaged in very unpleasant conversations, employing blackmail tactics by threatening to expose her actions to others.
Mitchell told the girl, "I control you now," and insisted that she call him her boss.
Her mother provided a heartfelt statement, describing the profound impact of Mitchell's actions: "She has left her old bubbly, happy life behind and started a new one where she is scared, shut off and untrusting.
This man stole away my daughter's innocence." Police investigation into Mitchell's electronic devices uncovered evidence of his creation of nine different fake profiles, four of which involved conversations with a girl under 15, some involving criminal discussions.
The devices also contained indecent images of the girl.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing a person to engage in sexual activity, attempting to incite a child to sexual activity, and making illegal images of a child.
During sentencing, Judge Peter Davies condemned Mitchell's conduct, stating, "This was a particularly despicable, nasty, brutal course of conduct on which you embarked."
