A Horn Lake man was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse materials on his personal electronic devices.
According to court documents, Steven Mistilis, 62, admitted to possessing, downloading, and viewing child sexual abuse images and videos for several years when approached by officers.
Mistilis, formally of Oxford, had a collection of over 1,500 images and 549 child sexual abuse videos, many depicting infants and toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Eleven victims submitted Victim Impact Statements, and U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ordered Mistilis to pay $35,000 in restitution to those victims.
“This individual downloaded and stored images and videos of very young children being sexually abused, and repeatedly viewed them for his sexual gratification and pleasure,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Prison is exactly where he belongs, and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office and FBI deserve our gratitude for helping to remove him from society.”
The Desoto County Sheriff’s Department and FBI Oxford Resident Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. Kline prosecuted the case.
Staff report
