ANTHONY FARR FROM BRADFIELD SOUTHEND ESCAPES JAIL AFTER BREACHING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES ORDER

In July 2019, a case involving Anthony Farr, a hair stylist from Bradfield Southend, drew significant attention due to his previous conviction related to child pornography. Farr, who operates a mobile hairdressing service called Hair by Tony, had previously been sentenced in May 2017 after police uncovered over 20,000 indecent images of children stored on his devices. These images included both still photographs and videos, categorized in the most serious levels, A, B, and C, indicating the severity of the content.

At the time of his sentencing, Farr, aged 53, received an 18-month prison term. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for a decade and was placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that aimed to prevent any future offending. Despite these strict measures, concerns about his conduct persisted.

Fast forward to June 2019, reports emerged that Farr might be facing further legal trouble. On June 6, he appeared before Reading Magistrates’ Court, accused of breaching the court-imposed restrictions. The breach involved possessing an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, which he was explicitly prohibited from owning under the terms of his SHPO. The court heard that the device was found in his possession around December 23 of the previous year, and it contained “inappropriate” images.

Prosecutor Ben May explained that the breach was serious, stating, “I have seen the basis of plea; elements of it are acceptable and elements of it are not.” He emphasized that the breach was deliberate and suggested that the case might warrant a custodial sentence of 12 months. However, defense counsel Mr. Phillips argued that the breach was not as grave as the prosecution claimed.

During the hearing, police presented copies of the images found on the device to District Judge Davinder Lachhar. Upon reviewing the material, the judge remarked, “Not all of them – my powers of punishment are insufficient,” indicating that the case would be transferred to Reading Crown Court for sentencing. The judge also noted that further reports would be necessary before a final decision could be made, and the case was adjourned to a later date.

Meanwhile, Farr was released on bail, pending the outcome of the upcoming proceedings. The case highlights ongoing concerns about individuals previously convicted of child exploitation offenses and their compliance with court orders, especially in cases involving possession of prohibited material and devices.