Disgusted in himself, former Kelowna man reported himself to police

So disturbed by his own behaviour, former Kelowna resident Andre Nicholas Lawrence made a highly unusual move by heading to the RCMP detachment and telling police about his crimes.

It was in the midst of the COVID pandemic, and Lawrence was lonely, isolated and in crisis.

He’d become addicted to crystal meth, and with his friends and family in Ontario, Lawrence, then in his early 20s, headed to the darkest places on the internet.

Participating in video chat rooms where pornography was shared, his drug use escalated, and he was introduced to child pornography, now known as child sex abuse and exploitation material.

In January 2022, overwhelmed by his own sense of guilt and wanting to end his behaviour, he called police and told them what he had done.

On March 27, having pleaded guilty to the possession of child sex abuse material, Lawrence appeared in a Kelowna courtroom as lawyers argued about what punishment he should receive for his crimes.

Defence lawyer Chelsea Kalla argued the case was extremely exceptional and a rare case for a conditional discharge, and Lawrence wouldn’t get a criminal record.

Crown Prosecutor Jesse Young agreed that the case was exceptional, but that not getting a criminal record should be out of the question.

The court heard that police were unaware of what Lawrence had been downloading until he told them.

“At the time of Mr. Lawrence’s offending, he was in the midst of a most acute phase of his methamphetamine addiction,” Judge Lynett Jung told the court.

“On the date that he made the police report, he was hospitalized for meth-induced psychosis.”

Once out of hospital, he assisted police in locating his files.

“A laptop and hard drive seized from Mr. Lawrence contained extensive (child sex abuse and exploitation material) material,” the judge read.

The judge took the time to describe the horrific content of some of the videos.

“Some images involved multiple children being victimized at the same time. Some of the images involved multiple adults abusing children at the same time,” the judge said.

Since going to the RCMP station, Lawrence had undergone extensive rehabilitation.

“He has been entirely substance-free since December of 2023,” the Judge said.

The court heard how Lawrence was of Jamaican origin and a gay man. 

He suffered racism and homophobia and experienced internalized shame about his own sexual identity. He’d also been sexually abused as a child.

He was now an active member of Narcotics Anonymous, and a psychiatric assessment had found him at a low risk of reoffending.

The judge spoke at length about his rehabilitation and counselling. Lawrence has a degree in engineering and is currently working and continuing his studies.

“Except for this offence, committed in the midst of a serious addiction, Mr. Lawrence has led a pro-social life and has contributed in multiple positive ways to his community,” the Judge said.

The judge spoke at length about whether to grant a conditional discharge.

“The crux of this decision lies in the balancing the need for deterrence and denunciation for this offence versus discharging Mr. Lawrence so that he can continue his career without a criminal record,” the judge said.

However, the judge wasn’t swayed.

“Despite the compelling and legitimate factors leaning in favour of a discharge, it is contrary to the public interest to grant one,” she said.

Ultimately, Lawrence was sentenced to seven months of house arrest, which he will serve in Ontario.