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Mugshot mix-up: Two N.H. outlets accused of using wrong person’s photo with child sex abuse article
The man, himself a victim of child sexual abuse, is claiming he suffered “substantial emotional and psychological harm."
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.
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The Union Leader, which did not return a request for comment, allegedly published the incorrect picture in the print edition and on its website.
“A version of this story that appeared on Page A4 of the New Hampshire Union Leader on March 15 incorrectly contained a photograph of a different Chad Lawlor. A correct photo of Chad David Lawlor now accompanies this story,” according to the correction on the article from April 3, 2024.
The lawsuit alleges that WMUR used the same picture of Chad W. Lawlor. In an article dated March 14, 2024, WMUR appears to use the correct headshot of Chad D. Lawlor, and there is no correction listed. The news station did not return a request for comment.
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Chad W. Lawlor has a “spotty criminal history” himself, according to the lawsuit, including nonviolent crimes like burglary. He is currently incarcerated the New Hampshire State Prison for Men. The sentence stems from a 2014 offense and other earlier charges, according to the state Department of Corrections, but his lawyer confirmed he was out of prison when the stories ran.
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.
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Tim Kenlan, Chad W. Lawlor’s lawyer, said in a statement that “this underscores how important it is that media organizations take care with the great responsibility that they’re given by the public.”
“Our system of justice is designed to punish people for the crimes they commit, not the ones they don’t,” Kenlan said. “More than Mr. Lawlor’s reputation was damaged. The consequences of the defamation cascaded throughout his relationships and livelihood.”
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