Halifax police officer who peeped into motel rooms gets house arrest, probation

A Halifax Regional Police officer who was caught peering into the windows of a Bedford, N.S., motel has been sentenced to two months of house arrest, followed by four months of curfew and 12 months of probation.

George Farmer, 44, admitted to looking into the windows at the Esquire Motel in December 2017. He claimed to be investigating possible drug activity and prostitution.

Farmer was found guilty in January of voyeurism and breach of trust. A charge of trespass by night was stayed at his sentencing last week.

He admitted to lurking around the Esquire motel on Dec. 1 and 2, 2017, when he watched a married couple in one room, a man in another and in a third room, a woman who had a visit from a man she met on a dating site.

Farmer was caught on video after police, concerned about his unexplained absences from his police cruiser, hatched a plan involving an undercover RCMP officer posing as a guest and a secret camera to record his activities.

What Farmer did when he was caught

When Farmer was caught, he ran away from police into the woods. Farmer said his reason for doing so was because he needed to urinate.

As of Jan. 18, 2019, Farmer was suspended from the force with pay.

After the charges were laid, Farmer was suspended without pay, but he was successful in grieving that decision and his pay was reinstated.