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Victims of a former Great Ormond Street Hospital porter who admitted sexually abusing boys over a period of more than 30 years have described being “profoundly scarred” by his actions.
Paul Farrell, who worked at the London children’s hospital between 1994 and 2020, admitted to 69 offences against eight victims, some of whom were as young as five at the time. Prosecutors said the true number of offences was “likely in the thousands”.
The 55-year-old did not target children at the hospital, but befriended the parents of his victims and acted as a babysitter in order to abuse their children at addresses in the capital.
Farrell, from Camden, Greater London, faces a lengthy jail term and appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday for the first day of sentencing.
Paul Douglass, prosecuting, said the defendant “ruthlessly exploited the vulnerabilities of his victims” and was able to win the trust of their parents.
The court heard that Farrell forced one victim, aged between seven and nine at the time, to perform oral sex on him on separate occasions over a two-year period.
Farrell also abused the victim’s younger brother during the same period, with neither sibling knowing what was happening to the other.
In a statement read to the court by Mr Douglass, the younger brother said: “The last 18 months of my life have been unrecognisable and torturous.”
He said he had felt “guilt, shame, despair and disgust” at what happened, as he detailed struggling with depression and in the relationship he had with his family.
“I now feel hopeless, lost and disgusted at my silence that has allowed you to ruin the lives of so many innocent children,” he added.
“Innocent children like me and my brother will be profoundly scarred by your actions for the rest of our lives.”
Mr Douglass told the court that the victims , who cannot be named for legal reasons, had not previously reported the abuse because they had a “sense of shame” of what had happened, while some feared that their own parents would suffer the consequences.
Another victim was an “extremely vulnerable boy” who was sexually abused by Farrell between the age of eight and 15, the court heard.
Mr Douglass said Farrell made himself “indispensable” to the boy by giving him money – described as “bribes for being abused” by the victim.
A statement from the victim read by Mr Douglass said: “I have carried this every day for the last 10 years.
“I want you to know that you are not going to break me. I am going to get over this and be the best man I can be for the community.”
Mr Douglass said Farrell was arrested for the first time in January last year after one of the victims saw a picture of him on Facebook, which showed him to be around children.
Farrell previously pleaded guilty to a series of charges relating to eight complainants, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, now aged between nine and 43.
The total number of offences Farrell will be sentenced for is 76, including seven offences related to possession of indecent images of children, while a further 20 charges have been left to lie on file, the court heard.
A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said their thoughts were with all the victims of “this horrendous abuse” and that Farrell had “admitted to a catalogue of truly awful crimes”.
“We urge anyone who has concerns about this case to call the helpline that we have set up with the NSPCC on 0800 101 996.”
Additional reporting by agencies
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