A Memphis man admitted helping arrange commercial sex acts involving a 16-year-old at a St. Louis County casino, moving a case that began with a frontline employee’s report toward federal sentencing. Mack Mitchell, 35, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Mitchell met the victim on a social media app when she was about 14 and stayed in contact with her for several years. In February 2024, he arranged for an Uber to pick her up from foster care, took her to a gas station and then brought her to a casino hotel, where an associate photographed her and posted images online; prosecutors said money from commercial sex acts was ultimately passed to Mitchell.
The case first surfaced in county court, where Mitchell and Angel Henderson were charged in 2024 with trafficking a child at River City Casino. First Alert 4 reported that a River City employee spotted the abuse and alerted casino security, which then contacted St. Louis County police.
The casino said the employee’s report showed why its frontline training matters, telling FOX 2 that staff receive instruction on recognizing possible signs of human trafficking. The federal case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Federal Sentencing Is Set For October
Mitchell pleaded guilty on the eve of trial, avoiding a proceeding in which prosecutors planned to rely on electronic evidence and other witnesses rather than require the victim to testify, FOX 2 reported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21, and the federal charge carries a prison term of 10 years to life.
