Five-year prison term for man found guilty of string of child sex offences spanning a decade

Custody photo of Patrick Lavery

A Lurgan man has been jailed for a string of child sex offences spanning a decade, after being found guilty of abusing six children between 1999 and 2009.

Patrick Lavery, 40, appeared at Craigavon Crown Court today (Thursday 4 September) where he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, half to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Lavery was convicted of 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.

The court also imposed a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and Lavery will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Abuse over ten years

The court heard that Lavery’s offending began in 1999 when his victims were as young as six years old. The abuse continued until 2009. All six victims, now adults, have since come forward to seek justice.

Police interviewed and arrested Lavery on 5 February 2024. He denied the allegations but was later charged and found guilty on 1 June, after which he was remanded into custody until sentencing.

Police praise victims’ bravery

Detective Inspector Chris Flemming described Lavery as “a cold, calculating and incredibly manipulative child predator” who had been brought to justice.

He added:

“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.

“Let this serve as another warning to those perpetrating child sexual abuse in our communities, we are working every day to break down reporting barriers and encourage victims to come forward. You will be caught, your lies uncovered and you will face the full force of the law.”

Victim speaks out

One of Lavery’s victims, speaking under the name Paul, gave a harrowing personal account of the abuse and its lasting effects:

“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.”

Police appeal

Police have urged parents, guardians, and communities to remain vigilant and report any concerning behaviour towards children, either online or in person.

Anyone who has been the victim of recent or historic child sexual abuse is encouraged to contact the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.