A former resident of Abbeville, David Fail, age 43, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison following his conviction for transporting and possessing child sexual abuse materials. The sentencing took place on February 26, 2026, after a federal jury found him guilty in August 2025.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller commented on the case: “Recidivist child sex predators are among the most dangerous people in our society, seeking out and victimizing our children to satisfy their own sick desires. This case shows that law enforcement will find these predators in the dark corners of the Internet where they hide and that their crimes will land them behind bars for decades when they’re caught.”
Evidence at trial indicated that Fail had previous convictions for possessing and receiving child pornography in 2006 and for sexually exploiting a minor in 2013. Authorities were alerted by a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding an online cloud storage account linked to Fail that contained over 100 files with illegal material. Investigators identified him using unique internet protocol addresses and information from Louisiana’s State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations, and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon II and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker, assisted by Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
Further details about this case can be found on the United States Attorney’s Office website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla or through court records available at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under Case Number 6:24-CR-00050-001.
