Guntersville man charged with possessing child sexual abuse material
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (KBSI) — A Guntersville man has been arrested after an investigation into online reports of child sexual abuse material, according to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation began June 22 after the sheriff’s office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and a report from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force regarding uploads containing child sexual abuse material.
Investigators executed search warrants for multiple online accounts and identified 38-year-old Andrew Jacob Barragree of Guntersville as the suspect. During the investigation, the sheriff’s office said it received two additional ICAC cyber tips involving Barragree.
On July 15, investigators served a search warrant at an apartment in the 13000 block of U.S. Highway 431 in Guntersville. Authorities seized several electronic devices and conducted a preliminary on-scene examination of two of them, which led to Barragree’s arrest.
Barragree was charged with five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and booked into the Marshall County Jail. He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
Under Alabama law, possession of child sexual abuse material is a Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison for each count.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains ongoing and additional charges are expected. Homeland Security Investigations, the Marshall County District Attorney’s Office and the Guntersville Police Department assisted with the investigation.
Barragree is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
