On May 20, 2025, officers from the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force created an undercover account on the KIK messaging application in Stillwater, Washington County, Minnesota. The account was designed to depict a 15-year-old female. KIK is a free messaging application that allows users to communicate through usernames rather than phone numbers. Due to its anonymity features, KIK has been associated with cyber bullying, grooming, and the exploitation of minors. Photographs in the KIK profile were digitally altered to make the female undercover officer (UC) age regressed.
On August 7, 2025, the UC received a message from a person with the username JAYCFD026. The person introduced themselves as Jay, 40 years old from Chicago. Jay told the UC he is a firefighter. The UC responded, "Hi there, I'm 15 and in Minnesota. What are you up to?" Jay responded, "Just hope you don't mind that I'm older, the chat with me still." Jay then asked if the UC had a boyfriend and sent a picture of himself with his son. Jay then asked for a photo of the UC. When the UC sent a photo, Jay responded, "I hope you don't mind me saying cuz you're only 15. But wow!! You're absolutely gorgeous and look like you have an amazing body too from what I can see.
Looks like you're just a little bit thick and curvy all over. Just wished we lived close. Like neighbors." Jay then discussed the UC coming to Chicago and lying to her parents about visiting him. Jay wrote, "I promise you'll feel safe and comfortable here if you'd want and we could relax outside the deck next to my pool whenever we want, and swim in the pool together to." Jay told the UC he would buy her a plane ticket to get down to Chicago. Jay later talked about visiting the UC in Minnesota and stated, "Maybe I could call your school as your dad and tell them you won't be there while I'm there.
So we can find all kinds of things we'd wanna do, would be loads of fun." The UC asked if he was naughty. Jay messaged he wanted to kiss the UC while they didn't have clothes on and sent a picture of himself without a shirt. Jay then detailed having sexual intercourse with the UC. Jay provided an address in Chicago and the name of his son to the UC. Officers used social media to find matches of Jay with other photographs. Offices contacted a sergeant with special investigations at the Chicago Police Department and were able to identify Jay as JOHN C. MITCHELL, [DOB REDACTED]. Agents with the department of Homeland Security obtained IP addresses and learned that an IP address used by Jay was located at the Chicago Fire Department, Station 94, the station where Mitchell worked.
A second IP address was subscribed to Mitchell at his listed home address. Mitchell is out of custody. A warrant is requested due to the nature of the crime and the threat to public safety.
