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.
“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,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “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.”
During the trial, evidence showed that Fail had previous convictions: one in 2006 for possessing and receiving child pornography and another in 2013 for sexually exploiting a minor. Authorities began investigating Fail after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating he was using an online cloud storage account to upload over 100 files containing illegal material. Investigators identified him through unique internet protocol addresses and information from Louisiana’s State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including United States Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon II and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
Further details about this case can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla or by accessing court documents under Case Number 6:24-CR-00050-001 at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer.
