Following a search warrant of his Calgary home this summer, Farrier, 32, was charged with making, accessing, making available and possessing child pornography.
A Calgary man is facing a litany of child pornography and sexual abuse charges, following a cross-border investigation by U.S. Homeland Security and Alberta’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit.
According to a news release Tuesday, ICE received information in June from the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that alleged Calgarian Marco Farrier was connected to a Californian who was charged last November with several counts relating to child sexual abuse.
Following a search warrant of his Calgary home this summer, Farrier, 32, was charged with making, accessing, making available and possessing child pornography.
“It is believed Farrier was in a relationship with Nicholas Des Barres when HSI executed a search warrant on his California home in late 2023,” ICE’s release stated.
That search warrant occurred after Homeland Security received a tip that Des Barres had sent sex toys to a 13-year-old in North Carolina. Twenty-eight devices were later seized during a search of Des Barres’ home.
Additionally, forensic analysis revealed messages with Farrier dating back to 2016, the release states.
“The messages sent between these two men went on for years and were incredibly disturbing,” said Cst. Erin Penner with the ICE unit. “They spoke at length about sexually assaulting several individuals who have been identified as potential victims.”
Homeland Security is working to identify who the children are, Penner said, adding that ICE believes Farrier met Des Barres in person and the two continued to communicate after Des Barres’ incarceration.
“This is another example of the importance of cross-border partnerships between police agencies, especially when it comes to this type of criminal activity,” Penner said. “By sharing evidence and intel with one another, we’re able to see the intricacies of their behaviours and ultimately put a stop to it.”
Farrier was released from custody on a number of court-imposed conditions. His next scheduled court appearance is on Wednesday.
Anyone with information on this investigation or any child exploitation situation is asked to contact their local police, or to report their concern anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.