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Man Charged With Raping Teen Returned To Polk

Michael Egger / News Channel 8

William Joe Mitchell, 46, is escorted by Polk County deputies to jail.

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TBO.com

Published: October 29, 2007

Previous Coverage: Police Catch Sex Offender

VIDEO: Josh Thomas Report

A registered sexual offender who authorities say raped a 15-year-old girl after using the Internet to lure her from home is back in Polk County to face charges.

William Joe Mitchell, 46, was arrested without incident at the Flying J Truck Stop on Interstate 81 in Winchester, Va., on Oct. 6, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. The agency has been involved in the case since the teen's parents discovered her missing Oct. 1 from their home in Bartow.

William Joe Mitchell

The girl endured a 30-hour road trip with Mitchell before he released her on Oct. 2 at a Wal-Mart in DeFuniak Springs in the Florida Panhandle, authorities said.

Polk authorities have four felony charges against Mitchell, but the most serious, including kidnapping and rape, were filed Wednesday in Covington County, Ala., where authorities say Mitchell drove the girl before returning to the Panhandle.

The Polk County sheriff's office is charging Mitchell with solicitation to commit a lewd act, enticing a child via the Internet, interference with custody and traveling to meet a minor -- all felonies.

The girl was identified early in the investigation as authorities tried to find her, but Judd said his office no longer would do so because she is a victim of a sex crime. The Tampa Tribune generally does not identify victims of sexual offenses.

Mitchell has a long criminal history, mostly for crimes in St. Johns County.

Florida Department of Corrections records show that Mitchell was sentenced to prison four times. His longest sentence, 1982-92, was for armed robbery and related charges.

Mitchell's most recent sentence was four years for a 2002 conviction in St. Johns County for lewd and lascivious battery on a 13-year-old girl. She was the daughter of a woman Mitchell dated, Judd said. Mitchell was released Dec. 10.

An arrest warrant for violation of probation in that case was issued Oct. 2 in Jacksonville. It alleges Mitchell was found in possession of drug paraphernalia, moved without notifying authorities, broke curfew and is $375 in arrears on his monthly supervision payments.

Information from The Tampa Tribune was used in this report.

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