Great Ormond Street hospital porter, 55, admits 69 sex attacks on eight children
Great Ormond Street porter, 55, abused two boys in linen room after promising them work experience at world-famous children’s hospital – as he admits 69 sex attacks on eight youngsters over 35-year reign of terror
- Paul Farrell sexually abused eight children aged 5-16 between 1985 and 2020
- The youngest child Farrell abused was believed to be five years old in the 1980s
- He brought victims into the children’s hospital on the pretext of work experience
- Prosecutors said Farrell’s crimes amounted to at least 500 instances of abuse
A Great Ormond Street Hospital porter who carried out more than 500 sex assaults on children as young as five is facing life in prison.
Paul Farrell pleaded guilty to a total of 69 offences against eight victims over a 35-year period.
From 1985 to 2020 he sexually abused victims aged between five and 16 hundreds of times, hiding behind the pretence of being a ‘loving family man’.
The 55-year-old brought the victims to his place of employment on the pretext of work experience, a court heard.
He admitted abusing two boys in the linen room of Great Ormond Street Hospital, in central London, where he would ‘lock the door’ as he carried out the horrific abuse.
Prosecutors said Farrell’s crimes amounted to at least 500 instances of abuse.
In each case, the ‘prolific sex attacker’ befriended the parents before abusing their children.
He was arrested in January last year but continued to assault children while he was on bail last June.
Paul Farrell pleaded guilty to sexually abusing eight children between 1985 and 2020
Farrell at Wood Green Crown Court, London where he pleaded guilty to 58 child sex offences carried out between 1985 and 2020, including attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 1. Pictured, a court sketch of Farrell from November last year
A search of Farrell’s home in Camden, north London, last year unearthed a safe in his bedroom containing numerous indecent DVDs and photographs of children. Pictured, Farrell (wearing a cap) with friends
Farrell did not target children at Great Ormond Street, but at least two alleged victims claimed they were sexually abused in areas he had access to
Given the ‘predatory nature’ of his offending over a lengthy period of time, police have warned ‘there is a very real possibility that Farrell has abused other children’ and are urging any further victims to contact the Met.
The charges related to eight victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and are now aged between eight and 43.
The offences, carried out between 1985 and 2020, include attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13 and making indecent photographs of children.
The youngest child Farrell abused was believed to be five years old in the 1980s.
Farrell did not target children at Great Ormond Street, but at least two alleged victims claimed they were sexually abused in areas he had access to.
Other offences took place in the victims’ homes and a community centre.
A search of Farrell’s home in Camden, north London, last year unearthed a safe in his bedroom containing numerous indecent DVDs and photographs of children, while analysis of his mobile phone found indecent images of children and extreme pornographic material.
Text messages were found on his mobile phone which led to enquiries being made about other young victims who may have been abused.
He was arrested in January 2020 after victims came forward and spoke to the police. The most recent offences were in June 2020 while he was on bail, police said today.
Farrell held a number of positions, including working as a porter, at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in central London between 1994 and 2020. None of the victims were patients at the London hospital (file photo)
More than 20 other charges were left to lie on file and Farrell will not face trial as no further charges are expected.
He pleaded guilty to a further five counts of possessing indecent images and extreme pornography of children in relation to this at a previous hearing.
Today, a judge at Wood Green Crown Court lifted restrictions which had prevented Farrell’s image being published as well as details of where some of the offending is said to have occurred within the hospital.
Prosecutor Paul Douglass said many of the counts were ‘multi-incident’, adding: ‘We are looking at several hundred discrete acts of sexual abuse over a period of 35 years against boys aged between five or six and 16.
‘Offences against two of the victims happened in Great Ormond Street, in the linen room, which is where the defendant was based for a large period of his employment there.
‘He had a key for it and he locked the door and abused two boys in the linen room.
‘A lot of the offences were committed…at the victims’ home addresses and a community centre. A number of boys were abused at the centre over a period of many years.’
David Osborne, acting for Mr Farrell, said he accepted his client will receive either a life sentence or an extended sentence.
Jane Ndeti, from the Crown Prosecution Service, branded Farrell a ‘a prolific sex attacker who presented himself as a loving family man with a stable job in London’s biggest children’s hospital’.
Ms Ndeti added: ‘Sexual offences against children are abhorrent crimes.
‘These guilty pleas mean that Farrell’s victims will now be spared the ordeal of giving evidence in court.’
Judge Noel Lucas QC said the sentencing process will take place over two days due to the high number of offences. He also said he will have to consider imposing a life sentence on the defendant. Pictured, a court sketch of Farrell from November last year
The 55-year-old appeared at Wood Green Crown Court today where other charges were left on file
‘Detective Superintendent Dave Courcha said: ‘Farrell was extremely calculating and devious in his targeting of children – he lodged at the homes of accommodating families and won their trust, only to abuse their children under their noses over a prolonged period.
‘Most of the victims lived with the trauma of what they were subjected to for decades.
‘Given the predatory nature of his offending over an extremely long period of time, there is a very real possibility that Farrell has abused other children. We urge any further victims to contact police right away – a specially trained team of detectives are ready to listen to your story and support you.’
Farrell’s sentencing will take place at the same court on May 21 and 24 and Judge Noel Lucas QC ordered that he must appear in person.
The judge said the sentencing process will take place over two days due to the high number of offences.
