Patrick Shane O’Ferrall Sentenced to 120 Months for Possessing Child Pornography

GREENEVILLE, TN—Patrick Shane O’Ferrall of Piney Flats, Tennessee, was sentenced to a statutory maximum sentence of 120 months in prison, by the Honorable Leon Jordan, U.S. District Judge. Upon his release from prison, O’Ferrall will be subject to supervised release under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for the remainder of his life. O’Ferrall was also ordered to pay restitution to a victim whose image was among the child pornography depictions.

The investigation of O’Ferrall began when, following his arrest for domestic assault, his spouse discovered pornographic images of young children on CDs among his belongings. Thereafter, officers seized computers, CDs, and DVDs from O’Ferrall’s residence. A forensic examination of the seized computer and discs revealed over 3,500 images containing child pornography and DVDs containing videos of young children engaged in sexual acts.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of O’Ferrall included the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”