Gymnastics coach who had sex with a 12-year-old girl every week for YEARS after grooming her on Facebook is sentenced to just three months in jail
- Taylor Farrell, 27, has been jailed for three months over a child sex offence
- He was working as a coach at Gymnastics Unlimited Australia in Melbourne
- Country Court heard he had ‘groomed’ a 12-year-old girl using Facebook
A gymnastics coach who had sex with a 12-year old girl ‘at least once a week’ and continued to do so for several years has been jailed for three months.
Taylor Farrell, 27, was found guilty at Victoria’s County Court on Tuesday of sexually penetrating a child under 16.
The court heard he met his victim while working as a gymnastics coach in north-west Melbourne, reported the Herald Sun.
Taylor Farrell, 27, was found guilty of sexually penetrating a child under 16 at the Melbourne County Court on Tuesday
After meeting his victim at a gym in Kealba, northwest Melbourne, where he was a teacher, they began communicating through Facebook Messenger.
The court heard he told her she was pretty, and would pay her other compliments before their sexual relationship commenced.
After this offending took place ‘at least once a week’ until mid-2014 at a number of locations, including the ‘foam pit’ at the gymnastics centre after hours.
He was also accused of having sex with her in his car, at his home and at the Sunbury Park up until mid-2014.
![Farrell was arrested in November 2018 over an offence relating to a former student, at Gymnastics Unlimited in Kealba, in north west Melbourne (pictured: stock image of a gymnast)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/06/10/05/29432680-8405033-image-a-29_1591762538276.jpg)
Farrell was arrested in November 2018 over an offence relating to a former student, at Gymnastics Unlimited in Kealba, in north west Melbourne (pictured: stock image of a gymnast)
Gymastics Victoria eventually contacted police after receiving a complaint about his behaviour but he was not arrested until November 2018 and was charged in May last year.
In court proceedings Farrell initially denied having any form of sexual relationship with the student, and also denied knowing her age.
This was despite her age being listed on her Facebook Profile and reports he had urged his victim to tell others she was 16 if they were seen together.
He eventually pleaded guilty at a later committal hearing.
The girl said she felt ‘disgusted’ every time she had sex with him, according to the Herald Sun.
‘I see now what Taylor did to me was wrong,’ the victim said.
Farrell was jailed for three months and ordered to complete an 18 month community correction order.
Judge O’Connell arrived at the three-month sentence after taking into account his guilty plea, the delay since the offending took place, and a perceived low risk of re-offending.
![After meeting his victim at the gym, they began communicating through Facebook Messenger (stock image)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/06/10/05/29432676-8405033-image-a-30_1591762547987.jpg)
After meeting his victim at the gym, they began communicating through Facebook Messenger (stock image)
But Judge O’Connell didn’t let him off entirely, finding some form of jail sentence was required.
‘The fact that the victim was so young, that is 12 years of age at the beginning of this offending, and the fact that the presumption of harm is not rebutted, means that general deterrence, just punishment and denunciation still have a role to play,’ Judge O’Connell said.