Lawrence ‘Laurie’ Norris: See the moment town’s Citizen of the Year is charged with more than 70 historical sex offences – as ‘local hero’ is handcuffed and taken away by cops from his sprawling country home

EXCLUSIVE

A city’s Citizen of the Year has been handcuffed and the frog has run away from his sprawling mansion after being charged with more than 70 alleged sexual offences, including rape.

Lawrence ‘Laurie’ Norris, 63, was arrested at his home near Forbes, in Central West NSW, about 8.45am on Wednesday, following an 18-month police investigation into historic child sex tourism in the region.

Police will allege that the local icon, an equestrian and former president of the Forbes Pony Club, sexually abused four girls between 1974 and 2023, including three who were under the age of 16.

His charges include sexual intercourse without consent, sexually touching another person without consent, having sexual intercourse with a person 14 years or older and under 16 years of age, attempted rape, indecency with a girl under 16 years of age, aggravated indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, and committing an indecent act.

Norris was named Forbes’ Citizen of the Year at an awards ceremony on Australia Day in 2022 for his “commitment to ensuring generations of residents enjoy and achieve in riding and sport”.

He comes from a farming family well known within the Eugowra community, where his father Wilf Norris was a popular farmer known for his use of horses to cultivate fields and his mother Pat was a horse rider and polocrosse player.

Wilf was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his work with draft horses and services to heritage conservation, after helping to establish the Australian Draft Horse Stud Book Society and the Golden Plow competition.

Norris continued his family’s love of horses by mentoring young riders and offering horse and buggy rides at local events. He is also a committee member of the local Riding for Disabled Association, a charity offering therapeutic horse-related activities.

According to media reports at the time, Norris was described as a “tireless worker” and “popular within the community” who volunteered his time to mentor and coach young riders.

Accepting his award, Norris said he loved working with the Pony Club because teaching children how to ride “kept them safe.”

“Horses are great equalizers,” he told the Forbes Advocate in 2022.

Norris is known as a local dignitary for his work within the community

In the photo, he is arrested by detectives at his farm on Wednesday

‘Pony Club helps children become better horse people and keeps them safe…

“What children learn is how to be competitive, how to act, how to grow up and be a good person.”

Norris became involved with the Pony Club as a rider in 1975 before traveling around Australia as a wrangler trainer for horses in films including The Man From Snowy River.

He returned to Forbes in 2000 and again became involved with the Pony Club, which has about 50 members.

After his arrest, Norris was taken to the police station and placed on strict conditional bail.

He will appear in Forbes court on Tuesday, May 21.

Strike Force Boche was established in October 2022 to investigate reports of historical child sexual abuse.

As investigations continue, anyone with information is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The father-of-two has been hit with more than 70 historic charges of child sex abuse