A Cabot man has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material involving a child younger than 5.
Mitchell Best, 43, received the 720-month sentence from United States District Judge D.P. Marshall Jr., according to Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
A federal grand jury indicted Best on July 2, 2024, on 5 counts of producing child sexual abuse material, 1 count of distributing child sexual abuse material and 1 count of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Best pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2026, to 2 production counts.
Judge Marshall sentenced Best to 30 years in federal prison on each count. The sentences will be served consecutively, resulting in a total federal sentence of 60 years.
Best was also sentenced in December 2024 to 30 years in Arkansas state prison for rape.
Judge Marshall ordered 10 years of the federal sentence to run concurrently with the state sentence. The remaining 50 years of the federal sentence will be served consecutively after Best completes his 30-year state sentence.
In addition to the prison sentence, Best was ordered to serve a lifetime of federal supervised release. Federal officials said there is no parole in the federal prison system.
INVESTIGATION BEGAN WITH CYBERTIP
The investigation began after the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Illinois received a cybertip from a social media platform.
The tip reported that a user connected to an internet address in Cabot had uploaded homemade child sexual abuse material.
The Illinois task force notified the Arkansas State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Arkansas investigators and special agents with Homeland Security Investigations began their investigation on March 29, 2024.
Investigators determined that Best was the user connected to the Cabot internet address.
On April 2, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations and officers with the Cabot Police Department executed a search warrant at Best’s residence.
Agents seized Best’s cellphone during the search. A forensic examination uncovered multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including material showing Best abusing a young child, according to federal prosecutors.
Investigators said some of the files had been shared with other people. The cellphone also contained social media conversations from Jan. 28 through Feb. 2, 2024, in which Best discussed the sexual exploitation of minors with other users.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Arkansas State Police and Cabot Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant prosecuted the case.
PROJECT SAFE CHILDHOOD
The prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative targeting child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The initiative was launched in May 2006 and brings together federal, state and local resources to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit children through the internet.
Federal officials encourage parents and guardians to monitor their children’s online activity and speak with them about internet safety.
Additional information about Project Safe Childhood is available at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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