Press Release
Plains Man Sentenced to Prison for Making and Sending Child Pornography Videos
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana
MISSOULA – A Plains man who admitted creating and transporting child pornography videos was sentenced today to 240 months in prison following by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.
David Paul Farrar, 58, pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to sexual exploitation of a child and transportation of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. Farrar was detained.
“Homeland Security Investigations special agents are proud to work closely with the Sanders County Sheriff’s Department to target and arrest individuals who prey on women and children in what should be the safety of their own homes,” said Steven Cagen, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Denver. “Farrar’s sentencing sends a clear message, if you harm children, we will work tirelessly to find you and to bring you to justice.”
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution said that while Farrar was away in Idaho in June 2019, he allowed a friend to stay at his home in Plains. The friend viewed electronic storage cards found in Farrar's house and saw that they contained sexually explicit photographs of a female child. The friend reported her findings to law enforcement.
An HSI agent obtained a search warrant for Farrar's residence and seized multiple computers and electronic storage devices. An analysis of the seized items determined they contained video files of the victim and were created sometime in 2013 or 2014. The videos were created using a cell phone or digital camera and contained lewd and lascivious images. Agents determined Farrar created the videos because the viewer can see his hand and hear his voice. Farrar also admitted to agents that he created the videos of the victim.
Agents also found a video of two other minor girls that contained lewd and lascivious images. The investigation determined that Farrar electronically transferred that video to a file on one of his computers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by HSI.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
Contact
CLAIR JOHNSON HOWARD
(406) 247-4623
Updated December 10, 2020
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