UPDATE: Former Navarre gymnastics coach pleads guilty; indictment does not link crimes to gym
A gymnastics coach and social media content creator from Navarre who had moved to Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty Monday, July 20, in federal court to multiple charges related to the production, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as money laundering.
Theresa Mitchell, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce and distribute child sexual abuse material, two counts of production of child sexual abuse material, one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material, one count of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, between 2023 and 2025, Mitchell conspired with Christopher Buckeridge to produce and sell images of two minor girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Mitchell sold and distributed those images and videos “for the benefit of other like-minded participants,” according to the DOJ, on social media platforms, messaging applications and subscription-based websites.
Buckeridge also sent Mitchell hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including material that depicted the sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent children. Mitchell received hundreds of thousands of dollars from selling images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to court documents.
On March 17, a federal magistrate judge issued warrants for the arrests of Mitchell and Buckeridge. Mitchell was arrested by federal agents in central Pennsylvania on March 19 and remains in custody.
Mitchell is a former employee of Gulf Coast Elite Gymnastics in Navarre. Rebecca Barchie, the gym’s owner, told the Navarre Press that federal investigators never contacted the business during the investigation and that she first learned of Mitchell’s arrest through news reports. The federal indictment does not allege that any of the criminal conduct occurred at Gulf Coast Elite, that any victims were recruited through the gym or that the business was involved in the offenses.
The indictment makes no reference to the gymnastics facility or Mitchell’s employment there.
According to court documents, Buckeridge is outside of the country.
Mitchell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years on the production and conspiracy counts. She also faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on the remaining counts.
As part of her conviction, Mitchell will be required to pay restitution to the victims and register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. According to court records, should restitution be requested by a victim, they would receive no less than $3,000.
A U.S. district judge will determine Mitchell’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
The case is being jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
In response to news of Mitchell’s guilty plea, Barchie released the following statement:
“We are aware of the recent news regarding a former employee of our gym. The conduct that led to the charges did not involve Gulf Coast Elite Gymnastics, our athletes, or our facility. We were not involved in the investigation, and law enforcement has not indicated that any of our athletes or programs were affected. Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not be commenting further. The safety and well being of our athletes has always been, and will continue to be, our highest priority. As an owner, there is nothing more important than your kids. My own child is a gymnast here also.”
Mitchell’s alleged accomplice, Buckeridge, was arrested in 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, for mischief and theft after he allegedly took children’s clothing from a community center and later returned the items with semen on them.