Patrick Lavery, 40, from Lurgan, convicted of child sex abuse | UK News

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A survivor of child sex abuse has said the trauma he suffered has left him with an “abject fear” that he cannot control.

From 1999 to 2009, Patrick Lavery, 40, from Ballynamoney Road in Lurgan, County Armagh, sexually abused six children as young as six years old.

On Thursday, Lavery was given a five year sentence after being 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 at Craigavon Crown Court.

One of his victims says the abuse was “hidden in plain sight”.

Paul, not his real name, says the abuse he endured at the hands of Lavery started when he was 12.

“It happened over a number of years, and I guess it’s something I haven’t spoken about for a very long time, but it’s had a huge impact on my life.”

Lavery was arrested last year and, following a two-week trial, he was found guilty in June this year.

During the time of his offending, Lavery was aged between 14 and 23 years old.

On Thursday, Craigavon Crown Court heard that Lavery continues to deny his crimes.

“The abuse was opportunistic and for a long time it was hidden in plain sight and that’s because to the outside world he was a God-fearing man, someone who was seen as respectable and caring and even looked after the elderly, and that public image gave him cover for the abuse and the crimes he committed,” Paul said.

He added that the impact of the abuse has been “lasting”.

“It’s affected my relationships with people, my ability to trust; relationships have been completely ruined.

“I still live with a lot of physical symptoms. I suffer with PTSD, I live with abject fear that I can’t control, anxiety, flashbacks and recovery has been slow and painful, and it’s often been quite lonely.”

Paul said he had the courage to come forward when another victim spoke up.

“I didn’t raise it at the time and for years I carried a lot of guilt about that,” he said.

“Whenever I heard a number of years ago that another victim had come forward, that was the time when I began to feel I had a moral responsibility to talk about it.

“If I had of spoke up sooner would that have protected other victims?

“I wanted to show people that it’s possible to be believed and to push for change. It’s never too late to speak up about historical abuse and to begin healing from it.

“Many survivors may never report the abuse, and it does remain hidden for years.”

Det Insp Chris Fleming, from the Public Protection Branch, said without victims like Paul coming forward they would have no case.

“They’ve shown courage but also resilience in what is a very difficult and lengthy process,” he said.

“These cases don’t come without challenges given the nature and the time that has passed, there’s some doors that are closed to us in terms of leads and lines of inquiry.

“But I’d like to think that this case and some other recent ones have shown that if you have a story to tell it’s worthwhile coming forward with that.”

At the end of Thursday’s hearing, Lavery was taken away in handcuffs.

He will serve half his sentence in prison and half on licence.

A Sexual Offences Prevention Order has also been imposed on Lavery for a duration of 10 years and he will be placed on the sex offenders’ register for the remainder of his life.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the ‘s Action Line.