SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Samuel Teancum Mitchell, 41, of Herriman, appeared in court Wednesday morning facing multiple felony charges related to a 15-year-old runaway girl, authorities said.
Mitchell was arrested on May 28 by South Jordan police alongside 35-year-old Matthew Menard of Miami, Florida. Both men are charged in connection to Alisa Petrov, who disappeared for six weeks before turning herself in to police in Colorado Springs on June 1.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Mitchell was formally charged with enticing a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor. A detention hearing has been scheduled for June 12 at 9 a.m. He remains held without bail at the Salt Lake County Jail but is expected to request release or bail at the upcoming hearing.
Authorities linked Mitchell to Petrov by tracing a phone number he provided during online communications. Police discovered a hidden iPad in Petrov’s bedroom containing conversations with multiple adult men, including explicit messages exchanged on the Discord app with Mitchell. However, officials noted that no child sexual abuse material was found in those specific messages, and it appeared the two had never met in person.
Mitchell told police he had met an online girl who was upset with her parents and had engaged in self-harm. He said the girl told him she was 19 years old but may have appeared younger in photos. He also denied further contact after she said she was running away.
A search of Mitchell’s phones revealed sexually explicit photos and videos from two underage girls, one estimated to be 12 years old and the other confirmed to be 15 by state records. Investigators believe the material was homemade and directly sent by the victims.
Mitchell faces five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of enticing a minor, all second-degree felonies.
Petrov’s whereabouts during her disappearance remain unclear, and police have not disclosed how she traveled to Colorado or if she was held against her will. She is now back with her family.