PORTADOWN MAN DAVID FORDE SENTENCED AFTER SEXUAL CHARGES INVOLVING CHILDREN IN LURGAN

In a case that has shocked the community of Portadown and the nearby town of Lurgan, David Forde, a 51-year-old resident of Alexandra Avenue in Portadown, has admitted to a series of serious sexual offenses involving minors. The incidents, which spanned over a period in 2013, have led to Forde being sentenced at Craigavon Crown Court to a three-year probation period.

Forde pleaded guilty to a total of eleven charges, which included seven counts of causing or inciting sexual activity with children aged between 13 and 16, as well as four additional charges of engaging in sexual activity with minors within the same age bracket. The court proceedings revealed that the victims were two 14-year-old girls and two 15-year-old girls, all of whom were known to Forde and had interactions with him at his residence in Birchdale Manor, Lurgan, where he was living at the time.

According to the prosecution, Forde employed various methods to contact the girls, primarily through text messages. He would invite them to his house, often paying for taxis to bring them there. Once at his residence, he would offer alcohol and cigarettes to the minors, creating an environment that facilitated inappropriate interactions. The court heard that although the girls recognized the inappropriateness of Forde’s advances and rejected his overtures, they still used his house as a meeting point, sometimes consuming alcohol there.

The evidence presented detailed disturbing behaviors, including Forde asking the girls to scrub his back in the bath, and on one occasion, requesting one of them to lie on his bed. He also sent them suggestive and inappropriate texts. The more serious allegations involved Forde physically grabbing the girls’ breasts and bottoms over their clothing, and attempting to kiss one of the victims. On another troubling note, he asked two of the girls to touch his private parts, further demonstrating the severity of his misconduct.

During the court hearing, defence barrister Greg Berry QC emphasized that Forde had no prior criminal record. He also highlighted that at the time of the offenses, Forde was going through personal difficulties, including separation from his wife, and was drinking heavily. Berry suggested that Forde’s memory of the incidents was unclear, implying a lack of deliberate intent.

Judge Patrick Lynch QC addressed the court, acknowledging the girls’ perception of Forde as a “dirty old man,” a description he concurred with. Importantly, the judge noted that there was no evidence to suggest the victims had suffered any lasting harm from the incidents. Nevertheless, Forde was ordered to be subject to several sexual prevention orders to prevent any future contact with minors.

The case came to light after one of the girls’ mothers confronted Forde directly, which led to her daughter recording details of the inappropriate behavior. This evidence played a crucial role in bringing the case to court and ensuring that justice was served for the victims involved.