- Connor Lind in court
- The jury retired to consider the verdict.
The jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of a promising young Sydney rugby player accused of engaging in sexual acts with two underage girls.
Connor Lind, 23, has been on trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court for the past three weeks, denying engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl.
He pleaded not guilty to four counts of having sex with a child and one count of intentionally sexually touching a child, and the jury retired Tuesday afternoon to consider their verdicts.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Lind was 19 when he engaged in anal, oral and digital sex with the alleged 14-year-old victim.
The girl told police in a recorded interview, which was played for the jury during the trial, that she had anal sex in her bedroom.
During cross-examination by Mr Lind’s lawyer, Lisa-Claire Hutchinson, the girl was told she had never engaged in sexual acts with Lind.
She repeatedly said, “Fake.”
At the time the girl was under 16, but Mr Lind, in his testimony to the jury, denied that the acts had occurred.
The jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of a promising young Sydney rugby player accused of engaging in sexual acts with two underage girls.
The court was told that Mr Lind, according to his defence, had aspirations of playing professional rugby and becoming a teacher and did not want to jeopardise his future.
He also said he wanted to respect the girl’s wishes not to have sex before marriage.
Mr Lind told the jury he had hugged the girl and that they had kissed “a few times”.
He said in his testimony that he set clear boundaries because he knew the girl was too young to consent to sexual activity.
“I said nothing sexual could happen because of the age difference,” she told the jury.
Mr Lind told the jury he became aroused while being hugged but “stopped it immediately”.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual contact in relation to an allegation that he touched the girl’s stomach and inner thigh while sitting in the living room.
The court was told that Mr Lind denied touching her below the stomach area.
He is also alleged to have put his hand down the trousers of another 15-year-old girl while sitting in his car on Dee Why beach.
Mr Lind’s defence has denied the charge and he has pleaded not guilty to one count of having sexual relations with a minor.
Mr Lind’s defence has denied the charge and he has pleaded not guilty to one count of having sexual relations with a minor.
The jury was shown a police video interview with the second complainant, who alleged that Mr Lind reached into her trousers and touched her vagina without her consent.
The court was told they were in the front seat of Mr Lind’s red Jeep parked on Dee Why beach when he kissed her.
“It all happened so fast, I don’t remember how we got to the kiss, it happened so fast,” the girl said in her police interview played in court.
Mr Lind denied the allegation and Ms Hutchinson argued the girl did not immediately complain to her friends, telling them about the kiss but failing to mention it was against her will, the court was told.
The jury will deliver its verdict after its deliberations.
