Man charged in child abduction had past charges, worked for public school board

The 65-year-old man charged in a child abduction in north-east London over the weekend used to work for the public school board.

The Thames Valley District School Board confirmed to 980 CFPL that Lawrence Thompson was a former employee, but didn’t say when he started working for the board, or what kind of work he did.

“While it is our policy not to comment on personnel matters, we will confirm that Lawrence Thompson ceased to be a TVDSB employee in 2014.”

Thompson appeared in court briefly Wednesday afternoon, wearing a blue crew neck sweater and blue jeans. He was arrested by London Police shortly after 6 p.m. Monday night, and was charged with kidnapping, abducting a person under 14, sexual interference, and sexual assault.

Court records show this is not Thompson’s first brush with the law.

Thompson was charged with two counts of sexual interference, and two counts of sexual assault stemming from 2007. All four charges were dropped in September 2009, the same day he was issued a peace bond.

According to the Criminal Code of Canada, a sexual interference charge is laid when a victim is under 16 years old.

London Police held a media conference on Tuesday afternoon to announce charges against Thompson.

Investigators say the young girl had been playing outside with her sibling in the area of Barker Street and Melsandra Avenue, when a man stopped, got out of an older model beige Chevrolet Impala, brought the girl to his car, and drove away.

Police say witnesses saw the car drive through the neighbourhood, and that the man touched the girl inappropriately inside the car. When the vehicle stopped in the area where the girl had been taken, she was able to open the door, get out, and run back home to her parents.

Thompson’s defence lawyer, Cassandra De Melo, adjourned Wednesday’s brief bail hearing in a London courtroom.

The 65-year-old will be back in court by video link on Friday.