April 2014 Child rapist who was hailed a Hartlepool hero for RNLI work could die in prison  A SEX beast previously hailed a hero is today starting a 17-year jail sentence after being unmasked as a child rapist. Former lifeboatman John Farman faces the prospect of dying behind bars after he was caged at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. The 64-year-old was part of a group that was given the freedom of Hartlepool in 1986 for his volunteer work with the RNLI. He also spent many years working at Hartlepool Power Station and as a part-time fireman. But he hid a dark secret that for years he had been sexually abusing two young girls. Farman was found guilty of six counts of rape and another six of indecent assault dating back decades after a four-day trial in February. The judge said he had robbed one of their victims of her innocence and ruined her life. Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said the abuse against her was very regular. “She talked about it being constant,” he said. The trial previously heard how the same victim shouted out for help during one of the attacks. When no-one responded Farman said to her: “See, I can do what I want when I want to you.” The jury also heard sickening details from the victims about how he fondled them and even showed one of them a porn movie as well as raping her. The victims did not feel able to report the disgusting abuse until they reached adulthood. One of the girls told the jury she thought such abuse was “normal” at the time. But after confiding in others they plucked up the courage to report Farman, of Amberton Road, Hartlepool, to the police and he was arrested last year. The jury unanimously found him guilty of all 12 charges. Adrian Dent, mitigating for Farman, who continues to deny the crimes, said: “He is expecting a very long sentence. “He is going to spend perhaps the rest of his life in prison.” Judge Michael Taylor said: “These are acts that fall very high on the scale of offending behaviour. “They were committed for your own gratification and without any thought to those young girls and their innocence. “You know that I have no choice other than to impose a very substantial prison sentence. “You exercised control over those girls. It was repeated time after time after time.” Police welcomed the sentence and stressed they will go after offenders no matter when the crimes were committed. Detective Constable Gillian Parkes, of the Protecting Vulnerable People unit, said: “I welcome this sentence and believe it reinforces our message that we will always investigate thoroughly, sensitively and professionally all allegations of sexual abuse whether it occured recently or a long time ago. “My thoughts remain with the victims and I hope the sentence will in some way help them move on with their lives.” February 2014 Former RNLI lifesaver given freedom of Hartlepool faces ‘long time in jail’ for raping young girls A FORMER lifesaver who was part of a group given the freedom of the town has been convicted of a string of sickening rapes and sex attacks on young girls. John Farman spent many years working at Hartlepool Power Station and as a part-time fireman in the town as well as being hailed as a lifesaving member of Hartlepool’s RNLI. But the 64-year-old, who no longer works for the RNLI, now faces a “long time” in prison after he was found guilty of six vile rapes and a further six charges of indecent assault involving two young girls dating back to the 1970s and 80s. The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict for the 12 charges put against Farman at Teesside Crown Court. The jury was previously told that one of the girls shouted out for help during one of Farman’s attacks. When no-one responded Farman said to her: “See, I can do what I want when I want to you,” said Shaun Dodds, prosecuting. And the sex offender showed no emotion as the judge warned him he would face a lengthy spell behind bars when he returns to the court to be sentenced. Farman was hailed as a hero in the town in 1986 when he was given the freedom of Hartlepool for his volunteering work with the RNLI. But in the years prior to that Farman had carried out the sickening attacks over a 12-year period, from 1972-1984. The jury heard during the four-day trial how Farman had abused the young girls by fondling them and even made one of the youngsters watch a porn movie as well as raping her on six separate occasions. The two frightened young victims didn’t report his disgusting sex attacks for more than three decades as they said they had grown up thinking his vile acts were normal. But after confiding in each other they plucked up the courage to report Farman to the police and Farman was arrested last year. Farman, of Amberton Road, Hartlepool, was arrested and quizzed by officers before being charged with the sickening offences. After being found guilty of the charges, Judge Michael Taylor told Farman: “I have no choice but to impose a very lengthy prison sentence. “You will be remanded on bail and you now have the chance to put your life together before you go to prison for a very long time.” A date for the sentencing is yet to be set.