Nicholas Sebastian Pigott faces Ipswich Court charged with raping woman on first date

A young man accused of raping a woman five times in an Ipswich bushland has been granted bail, despite a court hearing police were still investigating whether the man had committed similar alleged offences against other women.

A young man allegedly filmed himself raping a woman five times on their first date after driving her into bush, an Ipswich court has heard. Generic image.

An Ipswich man accused of raping a woman on their first date has been granted bail, despite a court hearing police were still investigating whether the man had committed similar alleged offences against other women.

The bail application of Tivoli resident Nicholas Sebastian Pigott, 20, continued on May 8 after being adjourned the previous day for more evidence to be presented.

Mr Pigott is charged with five counts of rape and one count each of sexual assault and assault occasioning bodily harm.

The charges, which Mr Pigott denied, were all alleged to have occurred against the same woman on January 1.

Mr Pigott allegedly drove the woman to an isolated location in Wulkuraka and raped her on their first date after they met on Snapchat.

Police alleged Mr Pigott used the woman’s phone to film a video of her performing a sexual act.

The Ipswich Magistrates’ Court heard she later sent the video to him upon his request, after he dropped her home, and then blocked him.

Magistrate Robert Walker adjourned the bail application after the court heard police had found videos on Mr Pigott’s phone of him engaging in violent sex with three other unidentified women.

Police were still investigating whether the acts depicted in those videos were consensual.

Mr Walker gave his bail decision on May 8 after reviewing the videos, along with a nine-page statement given by the alleged victim.

He said the videos of other women had not convinced him that Mr Pigott presented a broader level of risk to the community.

Mr Walker said his decision would therefore be made on whether bail conditions could mitigate any risk of Mr Pigott reoffending against the alleged victim.

He granted Mr Pigott bail under the conditions that he not have any contact with the complainant and also that he lived with his father in Tivoli.

The matter was adjourned for mention on June 7.

The Ipswich Courthouse.

On May 7, the Ipswich Magistrates’ Court heard the young man allegedly filmed himself raping a woman he had met online after driving her into bushland on their first date.

The court heard police were now investigating whether the same man had committed similar crimes against other potential victims.

Tivoli resident Nicholas Sebastian Pigott, 20, was charged with five counts of rape and one count each of sexual assault and assault occasioning bodily harm.

The offences were all alleged to have been committed on New Year’s Day in Wulkuraka in Ipswich.

During Mr Pigott’s application for bail on May 7 the court heard police would allege the victim was a woman he had met on the social media app Snapchat.

Police prosecutor Nanette Green said the alleged victim had agreed for Mr Pigott to pick her up, but purely for a drive to get to know each other.

Snr-Constable Green said Mr Pigott allegedly drove into bushland at Wulkuraka and asked the woman to perform sexual acts, but she refused.

“She didn’t know where she was and he’s (allegedly) raped her to the point where she’s screamed so hard that it hurt her throat,” Snr-Constable Green said.

It was further alleged that Mr Pigott used sex toys on the woman and that he filmed the offences on his phone.

“His offending is absolutely abhorrent — the fact that he’s done this to a young lady on what she thought was their first date,” she said.

Duty lawyer Matthew Fairclough said he disagreed there was a strong case against his client.

He said it was a “he said, she said” situation because his client maintained the sex had been consensual.

“If it wasn’t consensual one might wonder why it was recorded, why (Mr Pignott) kept the toys, why he in fact, on my instructions, provided her with the video,” Mr Fairclough said.

“Ultimately the case will stand or fall, one might think, on the credibility of the complainant.”

He noted the complainant had not gone to police until early February, more than a month after the alleged offence.

Snr-Constable Green noted police had seized Mr Pignott’s phone and uncovered videos of him allegedly engaging in violent sex with multiple other women.

She said the women depicted in those videos had not yet been identified.

Police were still investigating whether the acts had been consensual.

She said the prosecution opposed Mr Pignott’s bail and would seek strict conditions that he not use social media if granted bail.

Magistrate Robert Walker said he would like to read descriptions of the videos found on Mr Pignott’s phone before making a decision on bail.

He also wanted to read nine-page statement the alleged victim had given to police.

The bail application was adjourned, part-heard, until May 8.