While it's not something we like to see happen, the thread op does have the option of having his/her thread deleted.
But, to leave afterward isn't cool.
EDIT: In thinking about it, I believe I was the one he contacted.
And, if I remember correctly, he had taken the time to hard delete the images that he posted. So, having a thread with comments such as, Great pics, and there weren't any, the thread was pretty useless anyway.