Scott County; Three sentenced in sexual crime cases

Saturday, February 1, 2014

BENTON -- Three area men were sentenced to prison this month for sexual crimes investigated by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

According to a Friday press release from the Scott County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Benton, which prosecuted all three cases, Gabriel Mitchell, 23, of Sikeston on Jan. 3 was sentenced by Judge William L. Syler to 30 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a first-degree statutory rape conviction. In Missouri, 30 years is the duration of a life sentence and is the maximum sentence for this charge related to a victim under age 12.

Depending on his response to the Missouri Sexual Offender Program, Mitchell may also be subject to a future civil lawsuit and, as a sexually violent predator, be housed for the rest of his life in a Missouri Department of Health facility.

Mitchell was found guilty in a jury trial held Sept. 4-5, 2013. Prosecuting the case for the state were Julie Hunter, a special assistant prosecutor for Cape Girardeau County, and Scott County Assistant Prosecutor Tabatha Watson.

The charges are from an investigation launched Aug. 10, 2011, by Det. John Blakely of the Sikeston DPS due to an allegation that Mitchell had sexually assaulted a 5-year-old child resulting in the child getting a sexually transmitted disease.

For the complete story, see the weekend edition of the Standard Democrat or log on to the electronic edition.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: