Leonard John Farren, a former teacher, sentenced in Townsville District Court after child sex material found on phones and his abuse plan exposed

A former private school teacher has been jailed after vile plans to drug and sexually abuse an 11-year-old girl was exposed, and he told police he was “exploring” his interest in children via apps.

Leonard John Farren, a former teacher, sentenced in Townsville District Court after child sex material found on phones and his abuse plan exposed

A trusted educator, and at the time of his offending, a teacher at Ignatius Park College was told by a judge that his ‘longstanding porn addiction’ is what led to his depraved sexual interest in children.

Leonard John Farren appeared in Townsville District Court on Friday morning after a covert police operation uncovered the child sex abuse material chats he was involved in a year ago – and more worryingly uncovered his plan to drug and abuse a girl.

Commonwealth Public Prosecutions Officer Christopher Moore told the court in early February 2023 the 66-year-old had joined nine groups across the encrypted apps Wickr and Session that were dedicated to sharing and accessing child exploitation material and engaged with the apps.

The court was told some of the groups used titles such as ‘pedos and perverts’ and ‘naughty things, all ages’, with one of the groups having been accessed by Farren 647 times over a six-week period.

It was clarified that Farren was “merely a consumer” and never posted in the chats himself, however he had begun speaking with another unknown user via the chat.

The former schoolteacher and the unknown user had planned to meet in the Sunshine Coast, with the unidentified user promising to bring his 11-year-old niece so the pair could drug and abuse the girl.

Judge Jennifer Rosegren further elaborated on this offending and said Farren told the user he would only participate if the girl was “sedated”.

“When the other user expressed guilt you said you were ‘feeling okay’ about it and it would be exciting for the both of you,” Her Honour said.

Leonard John Farren.

When police searched Farren’s Townsville home they found two iPhones which contained 18 graphic images of children, with the man admitting to authorities he had a “particular interest in girls aged six to 10” and had used groups to “explore his interest” according to Mr Moore.

At one point during his offending, the man began speaking with an undercover police officer who was posed as a user in one of the group chats that shared child exploitation material, which ultimately led to his detection, the court was told.

The prosecutor said while messaging the undercover officer the man created his own abuse material by way of text, outlining fictional scenarios that involved him offending against a 10-year-old girl.

Additionally, Mr Moore said the man provided links to other chats to users who expressed interest in child exploitation material.

Defence barrister Darin Honchin instructed by Rennick Lawyers said he thought one of the charges were at the lower end of the scale as Farren himself didn’t create the child sex websites or moderate the group chats, which Her Honour Rosengren argued as she emphasised he had sent links to other people so they could access the material.

Mr Honchin submitted a psychologist report as well as a letter from Pastor Barry Henderson describing Farren’s character and said neither people could provide an explanation as to why he began such offending.

Her Honour asked, “He’s had this lifelong addiction to adult porn and found himself heading this way and has gotten sexual gratification, isn’t that an explanation?”

Mr Honchin clarified he was attempting to pinpoint a trigger.

“That’s what they do though,” Judge Rosengren began.

“(Farren) thought it was exciting, that’s what he says, you’ve found his explanation – he started to get bored with the adult porn and started dipping his toe in this, he found it exciting and got sexual gratification.”

Generic photo, Townsville Court House. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The defence lawyer said Farren agreed to engage with and complete a sexual offender program that was available in and out of the prison and proceeded to share the man’s working history with the court.

“He’s led a life that’s not involved in criminal offending,” Mr Honchin said.

“He educated himself, ultimately received a Bachelor of Education, worked through TAFE and had been a boiler maker and did trade work.”

When sentencing the man, Judge Rosengren labelled the offending as “depraved activity” and told him she hoped he realised his offending wasn’t a victimless crime.

Farren pleaded guilty to the federal offences of possessing child exploitation material, accessing child abuse material via carriage service, using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and using a carriage service with intent of making it easy to procure a child under 16.

He was sentenced to five and a half years’ jail, eligible for parole after serving two years. Her Honour ordered the start date of the sentence was the day of his arrest, February 12, 2023.

Originally published as Leonard John Farren, a former teacher, sentenced in Townsville District Court after child sex material found on phones and his abuse plan exposed