The mother of a 14-year-old girl has broken down in tears as she described the “look of horror” on her daughter’s face after a 19-year-old rugby player allegedly engaged her in sexual acts.
Connor Lind, now 23, is on trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court after 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 minor and one count of intentionally sexually touching a minor.
Prosecutors allege the rugby player was 19 when he had anal, oral and digital sex with the 14-year-old girl.
On Tuesday, the girl’s mother sobbed as she told the Sydney Downing Centre District Court that she had “felt sick” after learning of the alleged sexual acts.
She said her 14-year-old daughter initially denied anything physical had happened between her and Lind, but later told her parents they had exchanged “inappropriate photos.”
“I felt upset, angry, upset with myself because there were probably signs before that I hadn’t seen,” the mother told the court.
When her mother “pressured” her the following night, the 14-year-old revealed that Lind had digitally penetrated her on the couch at her parents’ home.
Connor Lind, now 23, is on trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court after denying engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl.
“I asked her if she had done anything else and she said, ‘Mom, I don’t believe in sex before marriage, but I performed oral sex on Connor to keep him interested,'” her mother told the court.
She then questioned her daughter about an allegation that Lind had engaged her in anal sex, to which the teenager again responded that she “didn’t believe in sex before marriage.”
“I didn’t press any further, but I wasn’t sure they had told me everything that night,” her mother said.
A few days later, he told the court he had looked his daughter in the eyes and asked her if she knew that “anal sex is classed as sex”.
“The look of horror on her face was… I’ll never forget it,” her mother said through tears.
He said the 14-year-old told him Lind had performed anal sex on her but had not enjoyed it and had asked her not to do it again.
“She asked me, ‘Does that mean I’m not a virgin anymore?'” her mother recalled through tears.
The court said that when Lind learned that her parents knew about their alleged interactions, she asked the 14-year-old girl to delete the messages they had exchanged.
On Tuesday, the jury also heard from a witness who described seeing Lind digitally penetrating the minor on her parents’ couch during a sleepover.
She was questioned about whether her view of the alleged sex act had been blocked by the couple’s knees as they spooned, but she remained adamant she could see her fingers “inside” the teenager’s vagina.
Lind has received support from her loved ones in court.
Lind’s lawyer, Lisa-Claire Hutchinson, said she had not described the cast Lind was wearing on her arm and questioned whether her eyesight was “at its best” at the time.
“I know what I saw,” the witness replied.
She told the court that she only needs glasses for long distances and that her eyesight was “fine for when (the alleged sexual act) occurred so close.”
The witness texted his mother: “He’s got his hands down his pants” and “I can hear shit.”
“I felt ashamed and guilty that this was happening around me,” she told the jury.
Lind has denied having any sexual contact with the 14-year-old girl or a 15-year-old girl with whom he is accused of engaging in sexual acts in his car.
The 15-year-old previously told jurors he had kissed her and put his hand inside her pants to touch her vagina.
He said Lind, who was 20 at the time, had offered to pull down his underwear and asked for “just one lick.”
Prosecutors allege the rugby player was 19 when he had anal, oral and digital sex with the 14-year-old girl.
The teen recalled saying “no” more than once, but told police he “kept it up.”
Her friend testified that the teen told her later that night that she “hid” with Lind and revealed “a hickey on her breast” as evidence.
The 15-year-old’s mood was “just normal, probably a little depressed” when she relayed the information, her friend said.
Lind was arrested in August 2021 and does not deny knowing the girls were 14 and 15 at the time.
Ms Hutchinson argued that at the time her client was a promising rugby player and university student and had “every reason to uphold the law”.
The trial continues before Judge John Pickering on Thursday.
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