A Great Ormond Street Hospital porter who befriended the parents of his young victims to allow him to abuse boys across London has been jailed for life.
Paul Farrell, 55, kept a diary of threats and bribes used to keep one of the children under control, Wood Green Crown Court heard.
Farrell admitted 76 offences against eight victims, from 1985 to 2020. He is set to serve a minimum 18 years in jail.
Prosecutors linked Farrell, of Camden, north London, to at least 500 instances of abuse, although they estimate the true figure is “likely to be in the thousands”.
His 35-year campaign of abuse included attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13 and making indecent photographs of children.
Farrell, who pleaded guilty at a previous hearing, acted as a babysitter to people he had befriended in order to gain access to their children.
He kept a diary of threats and bribes made to one of his victims, who was aged 12 when the abuse began.
Judge Noel Lucas said Farrell had a “deep-seated fixation with sexual activity with very young boys”.
The judge said: “It is difficult to fully comprehend the fear, confusion and vulnerabilities your young victims must have suffered as you repeatedly used and abused them to satisfy your sexual desires.
“For the whole of your adult life you have pursued your predatory interest in committing intimate sexual acts with very young boys with an all-consuming determination, irrespective of their attempts to make you desist.”
A Great Ormond Street Hospital spokesperson said: “Our thoughts remain with the brave victims and their families whose stories have been shared in court.
“While we have heard in court that Paul Farrell did not target children at GOSH, his association with our hospital is distressing for the hospital community.
“We are deeply sorry that he was able to exploit his position and use our hospital to commit some of his crimes.
“Our safeguarding practices will remain rigorous and under regular review and we are actively considering whether anything more can be done to prevent crimes like this.”
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