Michael Mitchell, a 24-year-old man from Shepreth in South Cambridgeshire, was involved in serious sexual offences related to child exploitation and indecent imagery. On 5 March 2024, officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary raided his home in Blenheim Close, where they discovered a substantial collection of illegal material on his devices.
The search revealed more than 270 sexual images and videos involving children and babies, categorised across A, B, and C levels, with category A representing the most severe offences. Specifically, Mitchell possessed 73 category A videos and 36 still images, 25 category B videos and 71 still images, and six category C videos and nine still images. Additionally, 30 videos and 21 still images depicted extreme pornography involving animals. This material was found in a recently deleted folder on his devices, indicating an attempt to conceal the content.
Further investigation uncovered evidence of Mitchell engaging in sexual communications with a teenager. He threatened to disclose her private intimate photos and videos to her friends and family unless she performed specific sex acts and sent him recordings. The teenager refused to comply and bravely confided in school staff, who promptly reported the matter to the police, leading to Mitchell's arrest.
Mitchell pleaded guilty at St Albans Crown Court to eight offences, including engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity involving penetration (as an offender aged 18 or over), causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity (as an offender aged 18 or over), disclosing or threatening to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress, making indecent images of children in categories A, B, and C, and possessing extreme pornographic images portraying intercourse or oral sex with animals.
- Engage in sexual communication with a child
- Cause / incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - offender 18 or over – penetration
- Cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch / look at an image of sexual activity - offender 18 or over
- Disclose / threaten to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress
- Make indecent images of children Category A (73 videos and 36 still images)
- Make indecent images of children Category B (25 videos and 71 still images)
- Make indecent images of children Category C (six videos and nine still images)
- Possess extreme pornographic image / images portraying an act of intercourse / oral sex with a dead / alive animal (30 videos and 21 still images)
On 27 November 2025, he was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison. In addition to the custodial sentence, Mitchell was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same duration, which restricts his behaviour and appears on Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks to prevent him from working with children or vulnerable individuals.
PC Shane O’Brien of Cambridgeshire Constabulary described the case as 'truly horrific', stating: 'The child abuse material Mitchell was found in possession of is the worst material I have had to review and grade in more than 15 years in policing. His abhorrent behaviour is both indefensible and incomprehensible.' He praised the teenager's courage, noting: 'The only light in this awful case is the courage of the teenager who I applaud for reporting the incident to school staff. Not only was she brave, but she also set an example to all youngsters that speaking out to a responsible adult is the right course of action.' The source for this information is the official Cambridgeshire Constabulary news release published on 27 November 2025.