DSP Trooper Pleads Guilty to Harassment

Georgetown – Ryan J. Mitchell, age 36 of Frankford, pled guilty yesterday to one count each of Harassment and Misuse of a Computer in connection with unwanted and unsolicited contact with a Sussex County woman. He was sentenced immediately by Superior Court Judge Richard F. Stokes to two years in jail suspended for supervised probation. Mitchell was indicted on these charges on August 8, 2011.

Delaware State Police initiated a criminal investigation after receiving a Stalking complaint on April 5, 2011. Mitchell was arrested on April 8, 2011 and was suspended without pay. Mitchell was a Delaware State Police Sergeant assigned to the Major Crimes Unit at Troop 4 in Georgetown at the time of these incidents, where he was responsible for overseeing detectives investigating robberies, serious assaults and additional crimes. Mitchell remains suspended without pay and benefits.

The investigation revealed that Mitchell utilized a Delaware State Police computer and accessed the secured DELJIS computer network and improperly accessed information about the victim and her husband and made continuous unsolicited contact via e-mails, letters, and phone messages to the victim from late February, 2011 through early April, 2011. The communications contained law enforcement sensitive materials, descriptive statements concerning the victim’s physical appearance, and other statements which caused the victim significant emotional distress.

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