WASHINGTON, D.C.. (WALA) – The United States Department of Justice says a former Navarre, Florida gymnastics coach and social media content creator has pleaded Guilty to sexual exploitation of children.
Here is some information from a U.S. Department of Justice press release:
The Office of Public Affairs says Theresa Mitchell, 44, formerly of Navarre, Florida, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to produce and distribute child pornography, two counts of production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The release from DOJ says according to court documents, between 2023 and 2025, Theresa Mitchell conspired with Christopher Buckeridge to produce and sell images of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The release says Mitchell sold and distributed those images and videos to customers on social media platforms, messaging applications, and subscription-based websites. It says Buckeridge also sent Mitchell hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including material that depicted the sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent children. DOJ says ultimately, Mitchell received hundreds of thousands of dollars from selling images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On March 17, a federal magistrate judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Mitchell and Buckeridge. Mitchell was arrested by federal agents in central Pennsylvania on March 19 and remains in custody.
DOJ says Mitchell faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the child pornography production and conspiracy counts.
Mitchell also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the child pornography receipt and possession counts, as well as the money laundering conspiracy count. If convicted, Mitchell will be required to pay restitution to her victims and to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). A U.S. district judge will determine Mitchell’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14.
The release says 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals 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.
Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.