INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man will spend the next thirty years in prison for raping a child and recording it.
Devon Shane Mitchell, 37, pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child and was sentenced to thirty years in federal prison.
According to court documents, an investigation into Mitchell began in February 2023 for criminal activity unrelated to child abuse.
During the investigation, police found multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse on Mitchell's cell phone, The videos showed Mitchell raping a child under four years old, who is crying during the attack.
The child was at times in custody or in the care of Mitchell, according to court documents.
Mitchell was arrested in April 2023. FBI agents found an 800 images and videos of other child sexual abuse material Mitchell collected online, in addition to videos of him raping the child.
The case was investigated by IMPD and the FBI.
“Our hearts break for the violence and trauma the defendant inflicted on such a young and vulnerable child. We are deeply committed to finding the offenders who sexually exploit our children and ensuring that they are taken out of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “Thanks to the dedicated investigators at the FBI, IMPD, and our federal prosecutor, this victim and every other child will be protected from the defendant’s crimes for decades to come.”
After serving thirty years in prison, Mitchell will be on probation for 20 years and must pay $10,000 restitution to the victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood [justice.gov], a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
