Rockhampton soccer player Ben Dingley in court for indecent treatment

A Central Queensland soccer coach and player has been stripped of his Blue Card after sending a young girl a lewd video and inappropriate messages.

Ben Douglas James Dingley, 22, was handed a two-year probation order after pleading guilty in Rockhampton District Court to one count of distributing a recording without permission and one of indecent treatment of a child via a film.

A Central Queensland soccer player and coach has walked out of court on a probation order after secretly filming his partner in the shower while he masturbated and then sharing the video with a child on Snapchat.

Ben Douglas James Dingley, 22, was handed a two-year probation order by Judge Jeff Clarke after pleading guilty in Rockhampton District Court to one count of distributing a recording without permission and one of indecent treatment of a child via a film.

Crown prosecutor Maryam Yousufzai said the video recording took place during Dingley’s two year relationship with the victim.

She said the second victim was contacted by Snapchat with the defendant telling her he needed a ‘root’ and comparing the child’s body to his former girlfriend’s before sharing the shower video with the child.

Police searched Dingley’s Norman Gardens residence on April 9, 2022, and found the video on his phone.

Ms Yousufzai said the 14-year-old girl told police she felt uncomfortable and “weirded out” by Dingley’s actions.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden said her client, who was supported in court by his parents, “was in a bad place” when he was communicating with the child online.

She said his friends had moved away for study, work or adventures while he remained working at his mother’s newsagencies, was failing his physiotherapy university course, was gambling and gaming, his grandmother was unwell and he missed out on a soccer selection.

“Soccer is a very big part of his life,” she said.

Ms Marsden said Dingley instructed the underage girl started talking about sexual matters before his offending actions and he, as the adult, should have “shut it down”.

“He wants to express an apology (to both victims),” she said.

Ms Marsden said since this offending, Dingley had been to five or six counselling sessions to help him manage life stressors.

She said his Blue Card had been suspended, he had stayed away from his soccer club where he coached children and his work roster was changed so he wasn’t working with children.

Judge Clarke said Dingley’s former partner wrote in her victim impact statement that she had undergone counselling as a result of his offending, not knowing who else he had shown the video to, felt like people were looking at her and her self-esteem “has been demolished as a consequence of your selfish behaviour”.

“You should be ashamed,” he said.

“It’s pretty horrible behaviour.”

Judge Clarke also ordered no convictions be recorded for the young man who had no prior convictions.

Originally published as Rockhampton soccer player Ben Dingley in court for indecent treatment