Surf instructor Connor Lyons refused bail on more child sex charges

Bombshell allegations have emerged following the second arrest of a Sunshine Coast surf instructor, who is accused of grooming, molesting and filming more children and deleting evidence.

Connor John Christopher Lyons after being granted bail on Monday, being questioned by Channel 7 and ABC Sunshine Coast. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Police allege a Sunshine Coast surf instructor has admitted to being sexually attracted to children and watched child exploitation material for years, including videos of children he offended against.

The bombshell allegations were aired in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday after Connor John Christopher Lyons’ second arrest in the rural Gympie suburb of Sexton on Wednesday.

The Peregian Springs man was arrested and faced court on Thursday with 14 fresh offences, which included four counts of indecent treatment of children, two of grooming, two of making child exploitation material, two of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, two of wilful exposure and one of possessing child exploitation material.

He also faces an additional charge of damaging evidence with intent.

He is yet to enter pleas to any of the charges.

Lyons, a renowned surfer and coach on the Sunshine Coast who was born in Toowoomba, was only granted bail on Monday following his arrest on 12 counts of indecent treatment of children and three of wilful exposure.

Police initially alleged the 26-year-old committed indecent acts against two children known to him through a professional capacity in the surfing industry.

Lyons was mentioned in court on Thursday on more charges. Picture: Patrick Woods

The acts were alleged to have happened on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

In court documents tendered in Lyons’ second bail application on Thursday, more heinous allegations emerged during investigations by the Noosa Child Protection Investigation Unit.

During the raid on Wednesday, police allegedly found a laptop which contained a program which is an international service for safe file transfer, storage, backup and distribution.

A search of the laptop’s internet history allegedly revealed enquiries for child exploitation material.

While talking to detectives, police allege Lyons admitted to filming an indecent treatment offence with a child which was stored on his hard drive. The matter was before the courts from Monday.

Court documents state the 26-year-old allegedly admitted to going home after being granted bail and deleting this video from his hard drive.

He voluntarily went to Gympie Police Station and in an interview admitted to frequently accessing child exploitation material since he was a teenager to as recently as December this year, police allege.

Lyons leaving the Maroochydore watch-house. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Police further allege he admitted to filming his own offending on occasions and stored it on the external hard drive.

Analysis of his laptop revealed links to child exploitation literature and a video he filmed of a child naked while getting changed.

Bail objection documents state Lyons allegedly told police he would “get off” or masturbate to the material and videos.

Further allegations revealed in these documents included Lyons exposing his penis to children on more than one occasion.

During their interview, police allege Lyons said he exposed his penis to one child “to see if they were interested in sexual activity” and to “desensitise” them.

When asked by detectives if he considered his alleged actions to be grooming, he replied “yes”.

The former World Surf League competitor was charged and represented by defence lawyer Bradford Hill in court on Thursday to apply for bail again as he watched on from the Maroochydore watchhouse by video.

Lyons ran a surf school teaching people of all ages how to surf. Picture: Instagram

Police objected to his bail, claiming Lyons told them he was allegedly “sexually attracted” to children. They believed the risk to the safety and welfare of the public was high.

Mr Hill said Lyons could abide by even stricter bail conditions, which included not using social media and surrendering his passport. He said Lyons bail was varied to allow the 26-year-old to live with his dad in Gympie to be further away from the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Hill said Lyons would also be open to receiving treatment to address his issues if granted bail.

Senior prosecutor Tegan Smith alleged Lyons new offending “obliterated” the risk ameliorated on his original bail undertaking from Monday.

Ms Smith said the evidence was “so much stronger” and “substantially worse” where she alleged he admitted to not only abusing children, but filming it.

She said he also allegedly admitted to watching it “over and over” and masturbating to it, and even after being granted bail on Monday, decided to “destroy” evidence of those videos.

Lyons was mentioned in court on Thursday on more charges. Picture: Patrick Woods

The prosecutor said Lyons allegedly said he watched child exploitation material for years and and pleasured himself “multiple times a week” to the material he made and others he downloaded, watched and read.

Police further alleged Lyons offending against children in China.

“It does not matter where he lives, how remote he is, by his own admissions he cannot stop this behaviour,” Ms Smith said.

Ms Smith said the concern for detectives was about the electronic devices seized, which included him not giving police access to the program installed on his computer which had the ability to internationally share child exploitation material.

“What one must ask yourself, given the substantial serious nature of his admissions, what else must be in that application that he does not want to give access to,” Ms Smith alleged.

“By his own admissions, he cannot control his urges.”

She said further victims had come forward and the Peregian Springs man allegedly admitted to some of this offending.

Magistrate Rod Madsen said there was “absolutely no chance” of him getting bail, and believed there were no conditions that could be imposed by a magistrate to reduce the 26-year-old’s risk to children.

The Peregian Springs man’s bail was refused. He was remanded in custody, with his matters adjourned to next year.

Lyons, a renowned surfer and coach on the Sunshine Coast and beyond, boasts more than 9,000 followers on Instagram where he regularly spruiks his surf school for all ages.

Originally published as Surf instructor Connor Lyons refused bail on more child sex charges