South Park lawyer sentenced in child porn case

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a South Park lawyer to 2 1/2 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

Robert V. Mitchell, 48, pleaded guilty in August.

"I admit what I did was wrong. That's why I pleaded guilty," Mitchell said yesterday. "Children to me are a precious thing to be honored, loved and nurtured. I don't know why I did what I did."

Investigators in 2007 discovered at least 17 videos and more than 500 images, some depicting children younger than 12 engaged in sexual activity, on Mitchell's home computer. Mitchell admitted that he tried to delete the files.

Defense attorney Stanton Levenson urged U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone to spare his client from prison.

"I find cases troubling where I am representing a good person who has committed a bad act," Levenson said.

Mitchell has four children between the ages of 3 and 15. His wife, Lisa, and other family members told the judge they believe Mitchell's anti-seizure medication caused his behavior.

"The events that brought him here are so uncharacteristic," Lisa Mitchell said. "That's not him."

Mitchell professed his love for being a lawyer, a career he said he chose over becoming a priest. He said he still practices law and has several clients. His law license will be reviewed now that he has been sentenced, Levenson said.