A cyber tip has led to the arrest of a 41-year-old St. Cloud man after numerous images and videos depicting sexual acts with animals, including his own dogs, were allegedly found in his possession.
According to the St. Cloud Police Department, an investigation was launched on Friday, September 12, after the agency was notified that “illegal material” had been uploaded on a social media platform.
SCPD stated that detectives identified Frank Louis Mitchell as the user of the social media account in question, and several search warrants were executed at his home located on Jersey Avenue in St. Cloud.
During the search, officers allegedly found “numerous videos and images depicting sexual acts with animals, including (Mitchell’s) own dogs, along with evidence of unlawful online communication and possession of obscene content,” according to St. Cloud police.
On Friday, October 31, Mitchell was placed under arrest and booked into Osceola County, where he is currently being held on a $17,000 bond. He is being charged with one count of animal cruelty/sexual contact with an animal, nine counts of animal cruelty/possession of images and videos depicting asexual acts with an animal, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Following Mitchell’s arrest, two dogs were removed from his home and are now in the care of Osceola County Animal Services.
“These charges are truly disturbing,” said St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke. “Our department is committed to protecting all members of our community, including vulnerable populations and animals, and holding offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The investigation remains active, and SCPD stated that additional charges against Mitchell are pending.