People in courtroom clap as judge imposes non-parole period of 18 years on John Joseph Farrell

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A former Catholic priest and child sex offender who abused a dozen children in regional New South Wales has been sentenced to 29 years in jail.

John Joseph Farrell, 62, preyed on three girls and nine boys over nearly 10 years in Moree and Tamworth.

He was sentenced in Sydney district court on Monday for 62 historical sexual crimes against children. A further 17 offences were taken into account in sentencing.

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The ex-priest sat in the dock with his eyes closed as judge Peter Zahra told the packed courtroom how Farrell had raped and indecently assaulted his victims between 1979 and 1988.

Zahra said Farrell “disregarded and took advantage” of his victims, who he groomed over long periods of time.

The offender was aware of, and exploited, the powerful position he held as a priest, Zahra said.

Although some of Farrell’s crimes appeared at first glance to be spontaneous or opportunistic, they were in reality a result of the offender’s long-term grooming of the victims and the cultivation of their parents, the judge said.

Many of those sitting in the public gallery of the courtroom wept as the sentence was handed down, while others clapped as the judge imposed a non-parole period of 18 years.

With time already served, the decision means Farrell will not be eligible for parole until 2033 at the earliest.

