A 54-year-old Richmond man will spend the next 13 years behind bars at the Adult Correctional Institution after pleading nolo contendere to two counts of first-degree child molestation involving a girl under the age of 14. Christopher Mitchell was sentenced to a total of 30 years, with 13 years to serve, in a case that Attorney General Peter Neronha's office says stemmed from alleged assaults spanning several years.
According to WJAR, Mitchell's plea covers alleged sexual assaults that occurred between 2021 and 2025, per Attorney General Neronha. The Adult Correctional Institution, where Mitchell will serve his time, is located in Cranston.
Neronha said the state was prepared to prove the case against Mitchell had it gone to trial. “The state was prepared to prove the alleged sexual assaults if the case went to trial,” Neronha said, according to the station's report. Prosecutors were prepared to show that Mitchell sexually assaulted a female victim under the age of 14, the outlet notes.
Conditions Extend Well Beyond Prison Time
Mitchell's sentence carries consequences that reach far past his time behind bars. He will be subject to GPS monitoring and lifetime community supervision once released, and he must register as a sex offender, per the same account.
A no-contact order barring Mitchell from any contact with the victim has also been imposed as part of the sentence. Rhode Island's first-degree child molestation statute, which criminalizes sexual assault of a victim under 14, is outlined by WomensLaw.org. Additional background on how such charges are typically prosecuted in the state is available through the Calcagni Law Firm.
