An Eldon, Missouri man, David Arabie, 59, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole for possessing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes handed down the statutory maximum sentence and imposed an additional 25 years of supervised release following incarceration.
Arabie is a registered sex offender with prior felony convictions related to statutory sodomy and criminal sexual conduct involving young children. On October 26, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography but later attempted to withdraw his plea, claiming innocence. The court denied this motion on December 20, 2024.
According to court records, Arabie admitted to using a peer-to-peer file-sharing network at his in-laws' residence to distribute images of child sexual abuse material to an undercover law enforcement officer. He also acknowledged having over 600 such images on his computer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner prosecuted the case following an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program involves federal, state, and local resources working together to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.