Substitute Teacher In Metro Pleads Guilty In 'Sextortion Scheme'

CARVER COUNTY, MN — A Carver County man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to child pornography and extortion charges in what authorities call a "years-long sextortion scheme."

Mitchell J. Ottinger, 25, schemed to obtain sexually explicit images and videos of minors and adults by using fake accounts online, authorities said.

He was charged in May with two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography and one count of interstate communication with intent to extort. He pleaded guilty to all counts.

His sentencing date has not been set. Ottinger faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Ottinger targeted more than 10 children, including some he knew from the school district where he worked, investigators said. He threatened to disseminate the images and videos of the children so he could extort more images and videos, according to authorities.

Authorities learned of the case when one of the children contacted the FBI, according to a news release.

Federal authorities believe there may be additional victims in this case, and anyone with information is urged to call the FBI Minneapolis Division at 763-569-8000.