Farley Man Charged with Producing, Distributing Child Pornography

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Farley, Missouri, man has been charged in federal court with producing and distributing child pornography.

Andrew J. McCardie, 35, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Monday, March 7, with one count of producing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography over the internet.

Following a detention hearing today, McCardie will remain in federal custody without bond until his trial.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, an FBI online covert employee from the Atlanta, Georgia, field office was in contact with McCardie on the Kik messaging application. McCardie allegedly claimed to be sexually abusing multiple children. During the chat, the affidavit says, McCardie claimed he had been producing child pornography at others’ request for a couple of years.

On March 5, 2022, McCardie allegedly sent the FBI employee two videos that depicted child sexual abuse. McCardie claimed that one of the videos, which appear to depict him sexually abusing a child, was taken the same day. He also sent a screen shot as evidence that it was a live video taken with the Kik application and previously sent to another Kik user.

On March 6, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McCardie’s residence. The entry team attempted to take control of McCardie near the entrance of the residence but he resisted, initially holding a firearm as officers entered. McCardie was brought out into the yard, where he continued to resist before being handcuffed and placed under arrest. According to the affidavit, McCardie attempted to hide his iPhone in the bedroom closet, but officers found the phone and seized it in order to conduct a forensic investigation.

The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It is being investigated by the FBI.

Project Safe Childhood

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."