By Hayden Godfrey
Uinta County Herald 
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

EVANSTON — A Mountain View man will spend 33-48 years in prison after being found guilty of 25 counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Steven Mitchell was sentenced on July 19 in Third District Court. 

The DCI’s Computer Crime Team began investigating Mitchell’s online activity in May 2023, following a cybertip from MeWe, a social media platform, according to a sworn affidavit. 

After receiving the tip, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Daniel Allison of the Southwest Enforcement Team and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed search warrants granting access to Mitchell’s person, devices, residence, Microsoft and MeWe accounts. 

On Nov. 22, 2023, Mitchell was detained and interviewed at the Uinta County Sheriff’s Office substation in Mountain View. During the arrest, agents seized his cellphone, two computers and three thumb drives. Mitchell told agents he had “communicated with like-minded individuals” on MeWe, Facebook Messenger and Telegram, an instant messaging service, according to Allison’s affidavit. 

Mitchell said he “enjoyed the communications and photographs.” 

Initially, he claimed the images he had taken from Google were difficult to identify as child pornography. 

When Allison said most of the seized images apparently featured toddlers and prepubescent children, Mitchell “denied knowing if the children were under 18 years old,” the affidavit states. 

After being questioned about multiple facets of the investigation, Mitchell reportedly said the agents “had him” and apologized. He continued to apologize, saying he needed counseling. 

He told agents how he obtained and shared the files, and claimed he had locked his wife out of his computer and phone. 

Mitchell said he had been in contact with someone on Telegram, from whom he had obtained multiple pornographic videos. In an attempt to receive more videos, Mitchell sent the other user clothed images of a young relative, claiming in messages to have “done ‘this and that’” to her. 

He reportedly claimed he had assaulted the girl. 

During an interview by child forensic interviewer Joel Greene, the young girl said she had visited Mitchell during the summer of 2023 and that during that visit, Mitchell had invited her into the back bedroom of his house where he kept his computer. 

Mitchell allegedly scrolled through his Facebook account and his niece saw multiple pictures of women in “see-through clothing.” 

Greene identified this as grooming behavior. 

The girl also claimed Mitchell had reached his hand through her bra, fondling her while she “froze.” She said Mitchell had touched her inappropriately multiple times that summer, but said she did not recall every time it had happened. 

Mitchell allegedly stated he knew what he had done was illegal and wrong, telling agents they had done him a favor and that he thought he might have an addictive personality. 

Agents searched his phone, finding approximately 150 files of child pornography. 

Forensic analysis of Mitchell’s phone uncovered over 129 pornographic photos and videos, 67 being videos between two seconds and five minutes long between Dec. 14 and Dec. 18 of 2023, Allison observed multiple messages between Mitchell and another user, many of which contained pornographic attachments. 

The affidavit concluded that Mitchell had distributed at least seven images and three videos, and had recreated at least three videos and two photos by photographing or recording his computer screen.