Guilty: Paedophile Anthony Farr who tried to blame his victim, aged eight

A PAEDOPHILE who tried to brand his victim an attention seeker has been locked up to await sentencing.

Anthony Farr, who ran a home visiting hairdressing business across West Berkshire, sought to persuade jurors that he was the real victim, blaming the criminal justice system and the press for his downfall.

During the trial Reading Crown Court heard how the 59-year-old, of Southend Road, Bradfield Southend, had gained access to an eight-year-old girl in the Newbury postal area and sexually abused her.

He warned her not to tell anyone because no one would believe her.

Jurors were told he had previously been jailed after he admitted possessing 20,000 indecent images of children, including child rape, having used search terms such as ‘Lolita’ and ‘Daddy’s little girl’.

But, giving evidence in his current trial, Farr insisted it had all been a stitch up.

In a bizarre rant, he said he had only pleaded guilty to having the images after a lawyer supposedly told him: “Shut your f****** mouth.”

And he claimed a judge had dispensed with proper procedure before banging a gavel and declaring: “It’s an open and shut case – 18 months.”

The judge in the current trial had to remind Farr that UK judges do not use gavels.

Farr continued: “Everyone was saying ‘we don’t want you to go to prison for this’.

“I was just stood there waiting to be released to go for my breakfast.

“[Later] I was lying in my cell thinking this is an injustice.”

Farr went on to claim he had also been persecuted by the press after the Newbury Weekly News and Newburytoday reported his court appearances resulting from previous offending.

He went on to describe the victim in his current trial as “an attention seeker” and told the court: “She’s now a victim – she’s in a perfect situation; this is all just perfect for [her].

“She is wily and manipulative … she’d do anything to get me into trouble.”

Jane Davies, prosecuting, reminded Farr that the judge in the indecent images case had remarked that he seemed to be in denial about his offending.

Meanwhile Farr continued to insist he had no sexual interest in children, telling jurors: “Paedophilia is evil – disgusting.”

He told jurors of his shock at being jailed for the indecent images offences, branding the sentence a travesty.

Farr denied he had feigned suicide attempts to deter his victim from giving evidence against him.

He sobbed and wailed as he told the court: “I’m a wreck; this is surreal – to be accused of something I haven’t done.

“I’m not that way inclined; I have no sexual interest in children – none.”

Farr denied five charges of penetrative sexual assault and causing or inciting a child to touch his genitals.

But the jury convicted him on all charges, by unanimous verdicts.

Farr also has previous convictions for possessing indecent images and for deliberately breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Judge Neil Millard adjourned for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

He meanwhile denied Farr bail and remanded him in custody.