A New Hampshire man is suing two local publications for allegedly publishing his photo erroneously alongside a story about a man with a similar name who pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against children.
A photo of Chad William Lawlor was published along with a story about Chad David Lawlor, according to the defamation lawsuit filed in Hillsborough Superior Court last month. Chad David Lawlor pleaded guilty to four federal counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March of 2024, according to federal prosecutors.
When the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR, which is owned by Hearst, reported on Chad D. Lawlor’s sentencing, both allegedly used an image of Chad W. Lawlor. Chad W. Lawlor, himself a victim of child sexual abuse, is claiming he suffered “substantial emotional and psychological harm,” the lawsuit alleges.
A life destroyed over newspaper allegations. This should never happen, even if it was the right guy. Just leave them alone.After members of the community saw the articles, the lawsuit alleges, “Chad soon began to notice people looking at him and talking about him in public.”
The complaint goes on to allege that he was harassed by neighbors because they thought he was a convicted sex offender. His landlord didn’t renew his lease due to the mix-up, the complaint alleges, and he “has been unable to find steady employment or housing since the publication of this article.”
His sister also “refuses to speak to him despite his pleas of innocence,” the complaint said. Chad W. Lawlor was threatened with violence by a biker gang in the parking lot of a Cumberland Farms, the lawsuit said, and his car “has been vandalized based on the mistaken belief” that he is a sex offender.
