Release Date: Monday, August 31, 2009 1:00 p.m.
Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that Jeffrey M. Mitchell, 31 years old, previously residing in the 5600 block of Landfall Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia, pled guilty and was sentenced today by Circuit Court Judge A. Bonwill Shockley, on two (2) counts of Forcible Sodomy and two (2) counts of Object Sexual Penetration. Judge Shockley ordered the defendant to serve a total of forty (40) years in the Virginia Department of Corrections. Thirty (30) years of that sentence were suspended conditioned upon good behavior for thirty (30) years, indefinite supervised probation, sex offender registration, and payment of all court costs.
The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that in June 2008, Jeffrey M. Mitchell moved to Virginia Beach from Florida. On August 19, 2008, the U.S. Marshal’s Office requested the assistance of the Virginia Beach Police Department to arrest Mitchell for an oral sodomy case in the state of Florida. As Mitchell was being arrested, children were observed in the house and the Special Victims Unit was called and responded to the residence. Mitchell was transported to the Detective Bureau where he was interviewed and confessed to committing sexual assaults in Virginia Beach.
The Florida criminal charges are still pending, and it is assumed that Florida authorities will pursue those matters.
“Child sexual abuse cases are difficult in many respects, especially when the victims are very young, as were the two sisters in this case. The disposition in this case had the full support of their mother” Bryant said.
The case was prosecuted by Associate Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael D. Defricke. Please call Julie Pickell at (757) 385-8545, if additional information is desired.
Similar Press Releases: Harvey Bryant, sexual assault, sodomy
