A three-time convicted sex offender has been sentenced in federal court today for possessing child pornography.
Andrew David Ferrill, 35, of Branson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, June 28, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ferrill to spend 20 years on supervised release following incarceration.
The sentence includes an enhancement for obstruction of justice. According to court documents, Ferrill intentionally attempted to destroy his Apple iPad when he overheard law enforcement officers speaking to his mother when they arrived to execute a search warrant at his parents’ residence, where he lived. He also uninstalled the Kik application from his iPad.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Ferrill pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. Ferrill admitted that he uploaded an image of child pornography to the Kik application.
On Aug. 10, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ferill’s residence. He admitted to investigators that he used an iPad to access the internet and Kik to view child pornography.
Ferrill was convicted in a general court-martial on Feb. 18, 2010, while he was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecent acts with a 14-year-old victim, as well as production, receipt, and possession of child pornography under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ferrill also was convicted of sexual abuse for assaulting a co-worker in Taney County, Mo., on Nov. 30, 2018. He was on probation for that state offense at the time of this federal offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Central Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
