DALLAS—Jeffrey David Mitchell, 51, of Garland, Texas, appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Irma C. Ramirez and pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography. Mitchell, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in May 2015 on related charges, faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five years and up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release. A sentencing date was not set. U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement today.

According to documents filed in the case, the investigation began in late April 2015 resulting from a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the upload of images depicting child pornography to an electronic group and to various e-mail accounts. The investigation led law enforcement to secure and execute a search warrant on Mitchell’s home on April 29, 2015; Mitchell and his parents were home during the search.

Mitchell admitted he possessed child pornography and that he sent and received child pornography via his e-mail account. He confirmed that he created and used multiple e-mail accounts to trade the child pornography, and that images of child pornography were on his desktop computer located in his bedroom.

Law enforcement seized several media items from the residence, and a forensic analysis and review of Mitchell’s e-mail accounts revealed approximately 750 images and 100 videos of child pornography. Some of those images and videos depict sadistic/and/or violent content, and some of the files depict infants and toddlers.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

The FBI, Collin County Sheriff’s Office and Garland Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is in charge of the prosecution.