ANDREW MITCHELL FROM BARTON-UNDER-NEEDWOOD SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN DERBY

In July 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Mitchell, a man residing in Barton-under-Needwood, who was found to be a significant threat to children due to his involvement in sharing and possessing illegal child abuse images. The case was brought to light through a series of investigations that revealed Mitchell’s disturbing online activities and his admission of a troubling fascination with such material.

Andrew Mitchell, a 45-year-old salesman and father of one, was identified as a user of various online platforms where he downloaded and viewed an extensive collection of depraved images and videos. These included footage of young girls as young as two being subjected to sexual assault. The authorities uncovered that Mitchell possessed nearly 710 images classified as the most serious Category A, along with 872 images in Category B and a further 2,601 in Category C. In addition to these, he also had close to 500 illegal images depicting bestiality, which are considered extreme pornography.

The investigation was initiated after a cloud storage service based in New Zealand reported suspicious activity to the UK’s National Crime Agency. The data indicated that several email and internet addresses, including Mitchell’s, were accessing vile child abuse content. On May 5, 2020, police officers executed a search warrant at Mitchell’s residence on Linden Road in Barton-under-Needwood, near Burton. During the police interview, Mitchell openly acknowledged his online activities, stating, “I understand why you are here, I have visited those websites.” He further admitted, “I have a weird fascination with things like that,” and expressed awareness of the potential consequences, saying, “I have been expecting a knock in the door for this.”

Mitchell was accompanied by his wife during the police visit, and he claimed that she was aware of his internet browsing habits. Despite his acknowledgment of viewing the illegal content, he denied distributing or sharing the images, although he admitted to participating in adult sex chats following the breakdown of his marriage and downloading hundreds of indecent images. He also confessed to sharing URLs with others, which would have given them access to the depraved material he viewed.

The court proceedings resulted in Mitchell pleading guilty to possession of indecent images. The evidence presented included the large volume of images and videos, some depicting very young children being raped. The prosecution highlighted the severity of the case, emphasizing the danger Mitchell posed to children and the wider community.

Judge Jonathan Bennett sentenced Mitchell to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years. The judge emphasized that the offences clearly exceeded the custodial threshold and noted Mitchell’s role in sharing the URLs, which facilitated access to the illegal content for others. As part of the sentence, Mitchell was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and attend 45 rehabilitation sessions. Additionally, he was handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender register for the same duration, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to society.