Victim of Lurgan predator Patrick Lavery, jailed for gross indecency towards a child, still has the 'scars' of the abuse he suffered
A victim of predator Patrick Lavery, who was jailed today for five years after being convicted of gross indecency with a child, reveals it still casts a shadow over his entire life.
Patrick Lavery, (40) from Ballynamoney Road, Lurgan has been sentenced to five years imprisonment, half to be served in custody and the remaining half on license.
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He was convicted for four counts of gross indecency with a child, two counts of indecent assault on a female child, two counts of indecent assault on a male child and one count of sexual touching of a child.
A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was also imposed for ten years and Lavery will be placed on the sex offenders register for the remainder of his life.
From 1999-2009, Lavery sexually abused six children (as young as six years old). Now adults, the victims have all came forward seeking justice.
Lavery was interviewed on February 5, 2024 and arrested. He denied all but was found guilty in June this year.
Detective Inspector Chris Flemming said: “This man is a cold, calculating and incredibly manipulative child predator who has today been sent to prison for his crimes against innocent children.
“I want to thank the bravery of the victims in coming forward. It goes to show that the passage of time has no bearing on a criminal justice outcome.
"We have seen an increase in reports of non-recent child abuse over the last five years, with an average of 45 new referrals of this type each month across the province. Sentencings like today, I hope, will provide those who have suffered with the confidence to break the years of silence they have endured. Paul (not his real name) has bravely spoken out about the effects of the abuse he endured at the hands of Lavery. He says: “I was just 12 years old when it began. What happened did not just change the course of my life; it cast a shadow over everything I was and everything I might have become.
"It has left scars that I still carry today, and has affected my ability to trust, to form healthy relationships, and to feel safe, even in my own home.
“It was hidden in plain sight – not just the abuse, but the silence, the looking away, and the unwillingness to confront what was happening.
"The trial was not just a legal process; it was a reckoning. I was forced to sit across from the person who violated me. I had to listen to lies spoken with cold denial. And yet I stood in that courtroom to speak the truth; for myself, and for all of us who were harmed.
“I now understand that I was just a child (a victim) and that the responsibility lies entirely with the abuser. The only feeling I have, is that of relief. Relief that I no longer have to lie awake at night wondering if this is still happening to another child. That, and only that, brings me peace.”
Parents/guardians and wider local communities should report any activity, online or physical towards a child that they find concerning. Similarly if you have been the victim of recent or non-recent child abuse please report to Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.