A 45-year-old Antioch man was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in prison for possession of child pornography by U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar.
Sonny Mitchell, in an Aug. 16 plea agreement, admitted to possessing and distributing images of children as young as 7 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Mitchell used a social media platform to communicate with others and distribute images, including videos and GIFs, according to the office of United States Attorney David L. Anderson.
"In one video, an adult male voice is heard giving directions to two minors who were engaged in sexually explicit conduct," according to a news release.
Because he had a 1999 conviction for unlawful sex with a minor, Mitchell also agreed to a minimum 10-year sentence.
Prosecutors said investigation of Mitchell started when a member of the public notified police that he was sending images via social media.
A second tip during the investigation led to Mitchell being identified as a user of a social media platform reported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as being used to transmit child pornography.
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Mitchell's sentence also includes seven years of supervised release.
A hearing to determine restitution issues has been scheduled for Jan. 24.
Agencies investigating the case included the U.S. Secret Service, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office, and the Antioch Police Department.
