ICE HSI Little Rock investigation leads to 60-year federal sentence for Arkansas man convicted of producing child sexual abuse material
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. / September 2, 2026 — Mitchell Best, 43, was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material depicting a child under the age of five. Best was indicted July 2, 2024, on five counts of production of child sexual abuse material, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. He pleaded guilty Feb. 18, 2026, to two production counts and was sentenced to two consecutive 30-year federal prison terms. ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the probe.
Best was also sentenced in December 2024 to 30 years in state prison for rape. The judge in the case ordered 10 years of Best’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence; Best then will serve his remaining 50 years.
“Our investigation and the sentence for these heinous crimes reaffirms HSI’s commitment to identifying and bringing those who exploit our most vulnerable to justice,” said acting HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright. “This outcome was only possible through the seamless collaboration between our special agents, the Arkansas State Police and the Cabot Police Department. We will continue to leverage every resource at our disposal to investigate these crimes and work alongside our partners to protect children from such predators."
On April 2, 2024, HSI and officers from the Cabot Police Department executed a search warrant at Best’s home. Agents found multiple files of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos that depicted Best sexually assaulting a young child, during a forensic examination of his phone.
The investigation was conducted by HSI with assistance from the Arkansas State Police and the Cabot Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Kristin Bryant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
If you have information about child exploitation or related crimes, call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).
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Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)
