A former Great Ormond Street Hospital porter who sexually abused boys in the linen room has left his victims "profoundly scarred", a court has heard.

Paul Farrell, 55, who worked as a porter at the hospital between 1994 and 2020, confessed to 69 offences against eight victims, totalling at least 500 instances of abuse to children as young as five.

Prosecutors said the true number of offences were “likely in the thousands” over the 35-year period of working at the hospital.

The court heard how Farrel lured two children into parts of the building he had access to - with one victim recalling Farrel locking the door before sexually abusing him.

Farrel also befriended the parents of his victims and acted as a babysitter in order to abuse their children at addresses in the capital.

The defendant, of Camden in north London, faces a lengthy jail term and appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday for the first day of his sentencing for the offences.

Paul Douglass, prosecuting, told the court one of the victims was an “extremely vulnerable boy” who was sexually abused by Farrell between the age of eight and 15.

The defendant had gained his trust by buying him presents and taking him to football matches amid a difficult upbringing for the victim, according to Mr Douglass.

Farrell made himself “indispensable” to the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, by giving him money – described as “bribes for being abused” by the victim.

Reading out an impact statement from the witness box on Thursday, the victim directed his remarks to the defendant, telling him: “I have carried this every day for the last 10 years.

“I want you to know that you are not going to break me. I am going to get over this and be the best man I can be for the community.”

Another of Farrell’s victims said he experienced hundreds of instances of abuse between the ages of five and 14, taking place two to three times a week in different locations.

Mr Douglass told the court the victim had recalled being taken into a linen room at GOSH on “numerous occasions”, with Farrell then locking the door before sexually abusing him.

The court heard that during the same period, the victim’s brother was also taken to the linen room on one or two occasions, where he was also abused.

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A spokeswoman for GOSH said they were “deeply sorry that he (Farrell) was able to abuse his position and use our hospital to commit some of his offences” in an earlier statement.

Farrell’s other victims include a boy abused when aged between seven and nine and his younger brother, with neither sibling aware what was happening to the other at the time.

In a statement read to the court by Mr Douglass, the younger brother said: “Innocent children like me and my brother will be profoundly scarred by your actions for the rest of our lives.”

In his opening statement, Mr Douglass told the court the defendant had “ruthlessly exploited the vulnerabilities of his victims” and was able to win the trust of their parents.

Mr Douglass said: “The total number of offences to which the defendant has pleaded numbers not less than 560 over a period of 35 years – the true figure is likely to be in the thousands.”

He said that Farrell was arrested for the first time in January last year after one of the victims saw a picture of the defendant on Facebook, which showed him to be around children.

Farrell had previously pleaded guilty to a series of charges relating to eight complainants, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, now aged between nine and 43.

The offences, carried out between 1985 and 2020, include attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13 and making indecent photographs of children.

The total number of offences Farrell will be sentenced for is 76, which includes seven other offences related to possession of indecent images of children, the court heard.

A spokeswoman for GOSH earlier said: “His actions are in direct contrast to everything we stand for as a children’s hospital.

“We would like to reiterate what has been said in court; that Paul Farrell did not target children at GOSH.

“We urge anyone who has concerns about this case to call the helpline that we have set up with the NSPCC on 0800 101 996.”

Farrell’s sentencing will continue on Friday morning, covering a summary of the victims’ experiences and their impact statements.

The defendant is expected to be sentenced on Monday at the same court.