Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) – A Fairbanks man was arrested by the FBI Tuesday at an Anchorage hotel on criminal charges related to his alleged attempts to produce child pornography and entice a minor.
According to court documents, Dahkota Mitchell, 30, started communicating with and attempting to meet an individual who he believed was a 12-year-old girl on Jul. 7, 2023.
The conversation lasted for multiple months.
The defendant used an online messaging application where he directed the individual to send explicit content, and discussed meeting in person and sexual interactions that would occur if they met in person.
Mitchell is charged with one count of attempted production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(a), one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(b), and one count of possession for child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B), (b)(2).
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case.
If anyone has information concerning Mitchell’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone using the username “daxter1495” or screenname “Dahkota Mitchell” on an online messaging app, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Jennifer Ivers are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.