South Bay Teacher Pleads No Contest to Possessing Child Pornography

LOS ANGELES, CA -- A man who taught music at a Torrance middle school pleaded no contest Tuesday to a felony count of possession of child pornography.

Eric James Mitchell, 36, was immediately sentenced to 45 days of Caltrans service and five years probation. He must also register as a sex offender for life and undergo a minimum of one year of counseling, according to Deputy District Attorney Samer Hathout.

Mitchell, who worked at Calle Mayor Middle School, was arrested March 25 after a search warrant was served at his Long Beach residence, where authorities found "sexually explicit images of minors on digital devices in the home," according to Virginia Kice of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A tip that originated in Brussels, Belgium, led to his arrest, she said.

Agents informed the Torrance Unified School District about the investigation and Mitchell was placed on unpaid administrative leave from his job at the middle school.

His employment with the school district will be terminated in the near future, according to a TUSD spokeswoman.

-- City News Service, photo via Shutterstock