BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – A 57-year-old man was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexual exploitation in Boulder County following a months-long investigation into the suspect.
Mitchell James Clute, 57, was arrested Monday for possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The suspect resides on Dewey Avenue near the intersection with 7th Street in Boulder, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation into Clute began after detectives with the Boulder County Digital Forensics Lab (BCDFL) downloaded CSAM from an IP address within Boulder County while conducting proactive investigations. Digging further, investigators found the CSAM was downloaded from a device connected to the internet associated with Clute’s home, according to deputies.
A search warrant was obtained and then executed on May 22, 2023, at Clute’s home where multiple electronic devices were sized, which led investigators to the discovery of thousands of files related to CSAM.
The suspect was booked into the Boulder County Jail with no bond for one count of sexual exploitation of a child-distribution, a Class 3 Felony, and ten counts of sexual exploitation of a child-possession, five Class 4 Felonies and five Class 5 Felonies, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said in a news release Monday.
