It has been revealed that the Australian man at the centre of the baby Gammy controversy was previously convicted of 22 child sex offences.
While Mamamia previously reported that David Farnell was accused of having assaulted at least three young girls, the Daily Mail reports that court documents now reveal further convictions — including an offence relating to a child aged seven.
As Fairfax Media reports, the Western Australian man was jailed for three years in 1997 on 15 charges charges of indecently dealing with two girls.
Then 39-year-old Farnell appeared in court to face assault charges related to events in 1982 and 1983 when he was 25-26, and was later charged with an additional 3 counts of procuring a girl under the age of 13 to indecently deal with him.
According to the documents obtained by Fairfax, the judge ruled Mr Farnell had “robbed” the girls of their innocence, causing them depression and affecting their ability to form relationships and perform sexually.
Gammy and his surrogate mother, 21-year-old Pattaramon Janbua.
While serving his three-year sentence Mr Farnell was convicted of 6 further child sex offences — and another 4 counts of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 13, which landed him another 18 months in jail.
Despite these convictions he was able to enter into the Thai surrogacy arrangement because WA does not have laws in place to stop sex offenders or convicted paedophiles from doing so overseas, the Daily Mail reports.
Son defends David Farnell
These claims come as the adult son of Mr Farnell defended his father to the media, saying everyone makes mistakes.
“I can tell you how good of a father my dad was towards us. He’s amazing. He’s brought the best out of all of us kids,” the son told Fairfax.
“He’s just got a massive heart. He’s made mistakes, we’ve accepted it… he’s made up for them,” he said.
“For everything to be brought back up (is) pretty heartbreaking to be honest.”
The son did not wish to be named.
Mr Farnell and his wife have disappeared since the story made international headlines, and the RSPCA had to attend to the family dog on Wednesday afternoon after it was left at their South Bunbury home for three days, .
Want to read more about Gammy? Try these:
News: Baby Gammy’s parents met on a mail-order bride website
What will a crackdown on Thailand’s surrogacy laws mean for the babies who aren’t born yet?
Read more on the Australian couple’s statement here.
Mia Freedman writes: Could this be the real reason why Gammy’s parents abandoned him?
Response from a parent of a child with Down Syndrome: To the Australian couple who abandoned their son with Down syndrome.
Mamamia’s first report on Gammy: The surrogate child an Australian couple didn’t want.
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Top Comments
My huge concern is that they hid in the house with a newborn baby for three days and yet, no-one knew they were there. How do you keep a baby that quiet?????
Ok so this man has 22 (known) counts of sexual abuse on young children, then he denies knowing he had a son (despite the surrogate being offered extra to carry the second baby to term prior to finding out Gammy had D.S), & now the story is that he was told the baby boy only had days to live so they fled the country with their daughter. Wait what!!? Your newborn baby is going to die & the response is to haul ass out of the country rather than spend every precious moment with your sick child, doing anything you can for them?! 8 months on & you never looked back and inquired as to how he was doing, tried to send money for his care etc? Would you not want to bring him back to Australia for medical care? I am saddened that the family dog has been abandoned but absolutely not surprised in the least. I hope that the poor dog can be re-homed, & the baby daughter returned to her birth mother where she will be safe & loved, as well as reunited with her brother. The family has disappeared & the whereabouts of the baby girl unknown, why the hell was she left with her repeat offending pedophile parent after this information on his past was brought to light!?