Former Great Ormond Street porter abused boys over 35-year period

Paul Farrell targeted victims between 1985 and 2020, committing offences at addresses across London

A victim of a former Great Ormond Street Hospital porter who sexually abused boys over decades has spoken of his "guilt, shame and despair".

Paul Farrell, 55, pleaded guilty to 76 offences against eight victims between 1985 and 2020.

A court heard that the true number of offences was "not less than 560" but probably "in the thousands".

Farrell, from Camden in north London, will be sentenced following a two-day hearing and faces a lengthy jail term.

He befriended the parents of his victims and lodged with them or acted as a babysitter at addresses across the capital in order to abuse their children.

Prosecutor Paul Douglass told Wood Green Crown Court that Farrell's abuse included forcing one of the victims, who at the time was aged between seven and nine, to perform sex acts over a two-year period.

During this same period, Farrell also abused the victim's younger brother, with neither sibling knowing what was happening to the other at the time.

'You won't break me'

The defendant made himself "indispensable" to another boy by buying him presents, giving him money and taking him to football matches, according to Mr Douglass, gifts described by the victim as "bribes for being abused".

Reading out an impact statement from the witness box, the victim told Farrell: "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."

But his feelings were in contrast to those of the younger of the two brothers involved in the case.

In his statement, read to the court by Mr Douglass, he said: "The last 18 months of my life have been unrecognisable and torturous."

Since making a complaint to the police, he had felt "guilt, shame, despair and disgust" over what had happened, and had struggled with depression and his relationship 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," the victim's statement added.

"Innocent children like me and my brother will be profoundly scarred by your actions for the rest of our lives."

Farrell worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital between 1994 and 2020

Mr Douglass told the court that the victims had not previously reported the abuse because they had a "sense of shame" of what had happened, while some feared that their parents would suffer the consequences.

"The defendant used a combination of bribes and threats which enabled him to commit serious sexual offences against the same victims, sometimes for many years," he said.

"He never gave his victims the slightest indication that he knew that what he was doing was wrong.

"For many of them, the sexual abuse became routine. He exerted complete control over his victims, and sometimes their families."

Winning the trust of parents

Farrell worked at Great Ormond Street for 26 years. He did not target any patients there but did abuse two of his victims on the hospital site.

Mr Douglass said he had "ruthlessly exploited the vulnerabilities of his victims".

He told the hearing that the total number of offences Farrell had admitted numbered "not less than 560 over a period of 35 years" but that the true figure was "likely to be in the thousands".

Mr Douglass said Farrell was arrested for the first time in January last year after one of the victims saw a picture of the defendant on Facebook, which showed him around children.

Farrell had 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.

'Horrendous abuse'

The offences, carried out between 1985 and 2020, include attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13 and making indecent photographs of children.

A further 20 charges have been left to lie on the file.

A spokeswoman for Great Ormond Street Hospital said their thoughts were with the victims of "this horrendous abuse".

She added: "His actions are in direct contrast to everything we stand for as a children's hospital.

"We would like to reiterate what has been said in court; that Paul Farrell did not target children at GOSH.

"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."