Mankato Man Sentenced to 35 Years’ Imprisonment for Production of Child Pornography

ST. PAUL - United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Mitchell Ray Williams, 40, of Mankato, Minnesota, was sentenced to 420 months in prison for his role in the production of child pornography.

Williams was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on August 19, 2026. He previously pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025.

According to court documents, throughout October 2024, Williams attempted to employ a minor male victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Williams knowingly recorded the minor and used messaging applications to share child pornography.

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement found hundreds of files of child pornography of which nine files involved visibly pre-pubescent child victims involved in sexually explicit acts. Williams has two prior convictions in another state, from August 2005 and April 2017, for Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse.

"Williams is a repeat sexual predator and posed a danger to vulnerable children. Today's sentencing ensures that he is held accountable for the harm he has caused to the child victims and their families," said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

"Mitchell Williams is now on his third conviction for child sexual exploitation offenses. The abuse and exploitation stop here," said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "We know that the production, advertisement, and distribution of child sexual abuse material causes serious and lasting harm to child victims and their loved ones. Today's sentence reflects the seriousness of that harm and ensures that children everywhere will be protected from Mitchell Williams for decades to come."

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Mankato Department of Public Safety.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristian Weir prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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.

Note: Previous press release on the indictment here.