LAWRENCE HENDERSON FROM LURGAN FOUND DEAD IN HIS HOME AFTER CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES CHARGES

In a tragic development, Lawrence Henderson, a man from Lurgan who was previously convicted of possessing a large collection of indecent images of children, was discovered dead at his residence in Kilwilkie, Lurgan. The incident occurred on the morning of Friday, July 22nd, and authorities have confirmed that his death is not being treated as suspicious.

Henderson, who was in his early 30s at the time of his death, had a well-documented criminal history related to child exploitation. His legal troubles began in October 2014 when he was brought before Craigavon Crown Court and sentenced to a three-year probation order after admitting to possessing over 3,000 indecent images of children on his personal computer. This sentence was met with public concern and criticism, with some community leaders questioning its adequacy as a deterrent.

The court proceedings revealed that Henderson had pleaded guilty to 26 charges of making indecent photographs of children, along with one charge of possessing a total of 3,354 such images. The images included photographs of girls estimated to be between 12 and 13 years old, according to police reports. Henderson’s arrest was triggered when he took his computer to a local shop in Lurgan for repairs. Staff at the shop discovered the illicit images and promptly contacted the police. Henderson was arrested upon his return to collect the device.

During the investigation, police found 208 images classified as Category One, indicating the most severe level of indecency, and four images in Category Two on Henderson’s computer. Further searches at his home uncovered an external hard drive containing an additional 3,347 Category One images and one Category Two image. Henderson admitted to police that he believed the girls depicted in the images were over 18, a claim contradicted by the evidence reviewed by prosecutors.

At Craigavon Crown Court, Judge Patrick Lynch addressed Henderson directly, stating that his actions had brought shame upon himself and his family. When asked if he agreed to the terms of his probation, Henderson responded affirmatively, saying, “Yes, no problem at all.”

Following Henderson’s sentencing, Jo-Anne Dobson, the MLA for Upper Bann, publicly called for an appeal of his probation sentence. She expressed her concern that the leniency of the sentence sent a troubling message about the community’s stance on child exploitation. She remarked, “The community are rightly asking what deterrent this sentence provides – sadly the answer is little. I share the public anger that, having pleaded guilty, such a frankly lenient sentence has been passed.”

Henderson’s death marks a somber chapter in his criminal case, which had already garnered significant public and legal attention due to the severity of his offenses and the questions surrounding the adequacy of his sentencing. The police in Lurgan confirmed that they attended the scene of his sudden death but emphasized that there was no suspicion of foul play involved. The community and legal observers continue to reflect on the implications of his case and the tragic end of a man whose actions had caused widespread concern.