AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
February 17, 2016 –
Emma Partrdige
A former Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing three young altar boys in regional NSW in the 1980s has been found guilty in a Sydney court of 10 child sex offences.
John Joseph Farrell, also known as “Father F”, was tried in the Downing Centre District Court for 17 offences he was accused of committing against the boys, aged 11 and 12, between 1980 and 1984.
Fairfax Media can reveal his identity after Judge Peter Zahra late on Tuesday lifted a suppression order that had covered his name for more than 2½ years.
Late on Tuesday, after 2½ days of deliberations, the jury found Farrell guilty on 10 counts and not guilty on the other seven.
The court heard Farrell, who is no longer a priest, has already pleaded guilty to 40 other child sex offences and is awaiting sentencing for those crimes.
Farrell was remanded into custody by a Supreme Court judge last year, when he was denied bail. He remains in custody after Tuesday’s verdict.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.