Convicted sex offender presented as ‘God-fearing’ – victim

A man convicted of child sex offences presented as “God-fearing”, one of his victims has said.

Patrick Lavery, 40, was handed a five-year sentence at Craigavon Crown Court on Thursday after being convicted of charges of gross indecency and indecent assault against children earlier this year.

The person, who does not wish to be identified and will be referred to as Paul, said he was just 12 years old when he was abused.

He paid tribute to the first of Lavery’s victims for coming forward, saying that gave him the strength to come forward also.

“The abuse happened when I was younger, when I was 12, and for years I carried guilt about that, guilt that I hadn’t spoken up about it, and it has had an impact on my life,” he told the PA news agency.

“The thing that made me come forward was when I heard that other victims had come forward. I wasn’t the first to come forward, there was a brave young girl who paved the way for the rest of us to come forward and I’ll always acknowledge her courage.

“I want to show that it is possible to be believed and push for change – it’s never too late to speak out and begin healing, and if my experience helps just one other person feel less alone, and more able to reach out for support, then something good can come out of something so painful.”

Recalling the time of the abuse from 1999 to 2009, Paul said Lavery presented publicly as a “God-fearing man”.

“Patrick himself hid in plain sight for years, to the outside world he was a God-fearing man, someone who was seen as respectable and caring, even looked after the elderly, and that public image gave him cover because nobody wanted to believe that someone with status could also be abusive,” he said.

“He used that reputation as protection, probably knowing that it made it harder for children to be believed and speak out.

“He was this God-fearing man who was seen as respectable and caring, but had committed these horrible crimes.”

Paul said Lavery’s conviction gave him a sense of justice for his 12-year-old self.

“Going through the whole process was incredibly difficult, it brought up a lot of trauma, it wasn’t easy to keep going,” he said.

“The officers I dealt with, along with victim support, were amazing. They treated me with respect and believed me, and that made all the difference.

“The court case took two weeks, and it was very disruptive, having to go back and forth from court … but there was a sense of justice whenever he was convicted, a sense of justice for my 12-year-old self.”