Pedophile Christopher Patrick Farrell to be jailed for depraved material after federal police sting
Content warning: A Hobart man will serve a lengthy term in jail after he was caught with a large amount of “extremely depraved” material under an Australia-wide police sting.
Police & Courts
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A Hobart pedophile is expected to serve a lengthy term behind bars after he was caught with a large amount of “extremely depraved” material in a massive, Australia-wide internet child abuse material sting.
On Wednesday, 32-year-old Christopher Patrick Farrell pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court of Tasmania to 11 counts of using a carriage service to access, possess, transmit, solicit and cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself – plus two further summary charges.
After police raided his home, Farrell was found in possession over 1212 child abuse files, including disturbing and depraved images and videos such as the rape of infants by adults, bestiality and serious sexual violence against children.
These included files depicting a girl being shot and children being cut.
He also engaged in “highly depraved” conversations with other people on platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp and Kik, including rape, incest, and preying on “special needs kids” and homeless children – often while under the influence of methamphetamine.
On Wednesday, federal prosecutor Krista Breckweg said Farrell’s offending lasted six years from March 2017 until March 2023, with his most recent offending taking place after he’d been granted bail.
She said he was actively engaged in trading material – transmitting it to other internet users and asking for material in return, including the abuse of the person’s own children or relatives.
Farrell would meet other users in chat groups, then redirect them to other platforms where “they could maintain secrecy”.
Ms Breckweg said he’d been diagnosed with pedophilic disorder, which was a not-exclusive type as he could “also be aroused by adults”.
She said Farrell was “fully aware of what he was doing” and that it was wrong.
Ms Breckweg said the night before his 30th birthday, a person online said they wanted to give him a “present” depicting a baby and very young children.
Farrell replied: “thank you very much, that’s such a cute present”.
“This is objectively extremely serious offending,” Ms Breckweg said.
“The material is extremely depraved.
Defence lawyer Cameron Scott said Farrell had an existing diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder, which he would discuss during a plea in mitigation hearing.
“He will be serving no doubt a lengthy term of imprisonment,” he said.
Acting Justice David Porter agreed, recording convictions on all charges.
Farrell, who has already spent a year in custody, will return to court on March 21.
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