A Fort Carson soldier was charged after a nine-month investigation by numerous law enforcement agencies into alleged possession, participation, production, sale and trade of child sexual exploitation material.

Law enforcement believes Sgt. First Class Marquez Parker, 38, of Fountain, captured some of the over 7,000 illegal materials found on his devices in residential areas of Colorado Springs based on metadata, according to court records obtained by The Gazette.

Investigators are still working to determine the exact addresses and unknown victims.

Parker was charged on Thursday with one count of possession of the material and another for distributing it.

The investigation began in February after a Fountain police detective received a report that child sexual abuse material was exchanged on Facebook messenger in October 2023.

Several search warrants executed in February and March allegedly found Parker possessed and produced the illegal material while seizing “a number” of electronic devices.

Messages between Parker and a female in another state allegedly showed they agreed to allow “Parker to have sex with her 12-year-old daughter in exchange for various goods and food,” the documents stated. An investigation into the matter is ongoing by the FBI.

At an undetermined time, Fort Carson’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID), under the Department of the Army, began a joint investigation with Fountain Police and later requested to become the lead agency, according to court documents.

At some point, CID requested the assistance of the FBI and the lead law enforcement agency for the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Colorado Springs Police Department. Their state investigation will parallel the CID’s.

After a briefing on Nov. 7, CSPD learned CID had identified and located over 7000 images and videos, including some Parker engaged in himself, court documents showed.

Materials on some devices are still being processed by forensic investigators in Fort Hood, Texas, and are also believed to have child sexual abuse material of unidentified Colorado Springs victims.

Parker is a sergeant first-class assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, according to a Fort Carson official. He is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal and has earned 12 other military awards across his nearly 15 years of service.