A serial pedophile, who used to work as a children's hospital staff, has been slapped with a life sentence over sex offenses against eight victims that stretched for over 35 years, a London court heard on Monday.
Paul Farrell, 55, of Camden, north London, was sentenced to a minimum term of 18 years at Wood Green Crown Court after pleading guilty to the long-standing abuse against eight young boys by at least 560 times, spanning from 1985 and 2020.
However, law enforcement fears the true scale of his vicious crimes may be much larger. The Wood Green Crown Court has heard that the true figure of abuse left unreported could amount to the thousands.
The string of historic abuse offenses included attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13, as well as making indecent photographs of children. His victims, now aged between nine to 43, cannot be named for legal protection.
Daily Star reported that the convicted pedophile used a linen storage room to molest at least two of his victims, who were not patients of the Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he worked between 1994 and 2020.
The court heard Farrell preyed on boys after offering to babysit for their parents, befriending the families, and gaining their trust before harassing and abusing targeted victims. He would steal toys from the hospital wards to use as bribes, luring and coercing victims into performing intimate sexual activities with him.
On one occasion, he allegedly kept a diary of threats and bribes made to one of his victims, who was 12 at the time. According to the BBC, Farrell hid a camera in his victim's bedroom to keep him in tow.
He reportedly threatened to “ruin” his victims' lives if they approached law enforcement or their families about the abuse.
Handing down a life sentence, Judge Noel Lucas QC said Farrell has concluded that Farrell has a "deep-seated fixation with sexual activity with very young boys," noting he instills real fear in his mortified victims if they speak out or ask for help, leaving them in a bind.
"It is clear you have gone about your predatory interest in engaging in intimate sexual activity with very young boys with a very great deal of cunning and planning," he continued.
Judge Lucas QC noted that he doubts Farrell's obsession with young boys will ever diminish but stressed that the pedophile will only be released from prison by the Parole Board if it is safe to do so, the Evening Standard noted.
Farrell was arrested in January last year after one of the victims approached legal authorities to report his deplorable sex offenses. He was immediately sacked by Great Ormond Street when his sickening offending surfaced.
A spokeswoman for the hospital has condemned Farrell's vile behavior and offered their apologies to the victims of the horrendous abuse, noting that the man's association with their institution is distressing for hospital personnel.
"We are deeply sorry that he was able to exploit his position and use our hospital to commit some of his crimes," said the statement.
The hospital has urged any members of the community who have concerns about Farrell's case to reach the helpline with the NSPCC on 0800 101 996.
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