Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that a Providence County Superior Court jury yesterday found Charles Mitchell, DOB: 10/22/47, with a last known address of 383 Pond Street, 1st Floor, Woonsocket, guilty of two counts of first degree child molestation and five counts of second degree child molestation. The jury deliberated three hours after a four day trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Brian P. Stern.
During the trial, the State proved that in 2007, while residing at a different address, Mitchell befriended a family that lived in the same complex as he did. The evidence showed that Mitchell acted as a grandfatherly figure to the three children of his neighbor, and that between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2007, the young child visited Mitchell’s apartment to play video games with him.
The jury found during these visits, the defendant committed two separate acts of first degree and five separate acts of second degree child molestation.
On January 10, 2008, the child disclosed the molestation to a classmate, who in turn reported it to an adult, who called the child’s mother. The mother immediately called the Woonsocket Police. After a joint investigation by the Woonsocket Police, the Office of Attorney General and the Child Advocacy Center at Day One, the defendant was arrested on January 24, 2008.
Retired Detective Tony Wood and Sergeant Jennifer North investigated the case for the Woonsocket Police and Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine handled the case for the Office of Attorney General.
The defendant has been held without bail since his arrest. Sentencing has not been scheduled.