Dion Adam Lingard charged with raping Sunshine Coast school girl

A Sunshine Coast man has been arrested and charged with raping a school girl and allegedly had more targets “lined up”. Warning - graphic content

A young girl is alleged to have been raped by a 31-year-old man at his Sunshine Coast home. Picture: iStock

An alleged “dangerous predator” accused of raping a young school girl allegedly had hundreds of indecent photos on his phone, including one of himself with another child, a court has heard.

Kulangoor man Dion Adam Lingard, 31, appeared Maroochydore Magistrates Court via video link on February 14, charged with 23 charges including rape and 14 counts of making child exploitation material between 2020 and 2024.

Defence lawyer Michael Robinson applied for bail on Mr Lingard’s behalf.

The court heard the man had met up with a young girl for the first time after he had contact with her for several months through her school laptop on a platform called “MeetMe.”

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin told the court she had stated online she was 19 years old.

Police alleged the two met with the intention of driving to Brisbane for a concert, but scrapped the plans and Mr Lingard bought her food before heading to his home with the girl.

Court documents showed their messaging exchanges prior to their meeting.

“Crazy thought, I don’t know you and you don’t know me but were (sic) both from the coast are you free tonight?,” Mr Lingard messaged.

The girl had answered and Mr Lingard wrote back saying he was “so happy right now” and “so nervous,” documents revealed.

Mr McLaughlin said there were no allegations of the girl being held against her will once they met up and went to his home.

According to court documents, Mr Lingard allegedly smoked cannabis the next day, offered the drug to the girl to which she refused, and they had then moved to the bedroom where he asked the girl how old she was.

It is alleged the girl responded she was 19 and he then forced her onto the bed and raped her whilst grabbing her throat and holding her wrists above her head.

Documents state the girl continued to say “stop, stop” and her entire body hurt.

The following morning, Mr Lingard appeared stressed after spotting an undercover police car whilst he was in town with the girl and suggested she call someone to assure she had not been kidnapped, court documents alleged.

Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Police prosecutor Nick Nitschke told the court Mr Lingard allegedly refused to let the girl use his mobile phone - in fear of being tracked - and brought her to a public phone then kept close surveillance on her from a nearby bakery.

Sergeant Nitschke said the girl contacted her school to inform staff of her wellbeing, who then immediately contacted police and she was located whilst still on the phone with school staff.

Mr Lingard was arrested the following day and police allegedly found child exploitation material on his phone, including a video filmed in January of Mr Lingard receiving oral sex from and masturbating in front of a 14-year-old girl.

Documents stated Mr Lingard allegedly had “hundreds of photos” showing young girls through messages on Snapchat and Discord online platforms and he told police he had saved them for “unknown reasons.”

Sergeant Nitschke opposed bail due to the risk of Mr Lingard not appearing in court, saying he bought a flight ticket to America and was looking to obtain American currency.

It is alleged Mr Lingard had contacted another underage girl in America and booked a flight to meet up with her.

Mr McLaughlin said a police officer had gone undercover as another prisoner with a recorder into Mr Lingard’s cell after he was arrested and taken into custody.

It is alleged Mr Lingard said he would “kill” the young girl as she was the reason he was locked up and “boasted” how “easy” it was to procure young girls to perform sexual acts.

He also said to the undercover officer he purchased material using crypto-currency, the court heard.

Mr McLaughlin labelled Mr Lingard as a “predator” who had various targets lined up and refused bail.

“It is clear this man is a dangerous, obsidious, persistent predator,” Mr McLaughlin said.
The matter was adjourned to April 19, 2024.

Mr Lingard has been charged with 14 counts of involving a child in making child exploitation material, one of possessing child exploitation material, one of rape, one of driving an unregistered vehicle, one of obtaining child abuse material for use through a carriage service, one of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, one of recording in breach of privacy, one of driving an uninsured vehicle and one of aggravated supply a drug to a minor.

Originally published as Dion Adam Lingard charged with raping Sunshine Coast school girl