Convicted Rapist Jailed for Ignoring Sex Offender Register Requirements

A convicted rapist who twice went on foreign holidays, including to the Philippines, without informing the police was sent back to prison today.

James Farquhar, who served 12 years for repeatedly raping a teenage girl, was obligated to notify the police if he applied for a passport or traveled abroad under the terms of the Sex Offenders Register.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Farquhar applied for a passport in November 2019 and traveled to the Philippines for a month-long vacation the following March. Derek Jones, the prosecutor, revealed that Farquhar's offender manager was informed of the trip upon his return, prompting an investigation into his passport acquisition.

However, Farquhar was not interviewed by Merseyside Police until November 2020, by which time he had also spent a week on the Greek island of Cos a few weeks prior. Mr. Jones stated that if the police had harbored concerns about his activities in the Philippines, he would have been arrested sooner.

Judge Garrett Byrne, presiding over the sentencing, told the 62-year-old Farquhar: "This was flagrant disregard of the notification requirements which are designed to manage the risk you pose to the community."

Judge Byrne noted that during questioning, Farquhar feigned ignorance of the requirements but had, in fact, traveled with full knowledge of his rule-breaking.

Farquhar, residing in Ford Lane, Litherland, but previously of Southport, pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching the Sex Offender Register requirements and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

He was initially incarcerated at Liverpool Crown Court in 2005 for 15 years for five counts of rape, involving a victim aged between 16 and 20, and was mandated to register indefinitely. The sentence was later reduced to 12 years on appeal.

In February 2018, Farquhar received a suspended prison sentence for assaulting his ex-partner and exceeding the permitted seven-day stay at her home without notifying the police.

Matthew ONeill, Farquhar's defense attorney, argued that his client had informed the police that he was unaware of the notification obligation regarding passport acquisition and foreign travel. He stated that Farquhar annually signs the Register but had been unaware of those specific conditions.

Mr. O'Neill maintained that "It was not deliberate. It was due to a mistaken belief that he did not need to notify the authorities." He added that his client is in poor health and is scheduled for open heart surgery in five months.

He further argued that Farquhar's month-long detention following his guilty plea had been particularly challenging due to the pandemic and urged the judge to suspend any prison sentence.