Rising rugby star Connor Lind’s shocked reaction after being found guilty of child abuse

A promising Sydney rugby player broke down sobbing and hyperventilating after learning he had been found guilty of sexual acts with a child.

Connor Lind, 23, appeared in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court after pleading not guilty to a series of charges that he engaged in sexual acts with two girls, aged 14 and 15.

After a week of deliberation by the jury, Lind sat upright as the first verdict was delivered – not guilty – but collapsed into his hands, weeping, as three more guilty verdicts were returned.

During the trial, Lind admitted kissing the 14-year-old, but said he broke off the physical contact before it became sexual.

After eight days of deliberation, Lind was acquitted on Tuesday of one charge of sexual intercourse with a child, but found guilty of two other charges of sexual intercourse with a child and one charge of intentionally touching a child.

After further deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the fifth charge, sexual intercourse with a child, which involved another accuser.

The prosecution alleged that Lind was 19 years old when he had anal, oral and digital sex with the alleged 14-year-old victim.

The girl was not yet 16 years old at the time, but Lind denied in his statement to the jury that the acts ever took place.

Connor Lind (pictured) broke down in tears after learning he had been found guilty of sexual acts with a child

Lind, 23, was tried in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court

Lind told the jury that he hugged the minor and that they kissed “a few times.”

He told the jury that he became aroused during the cuddling but that he “immediately stopped”.

“Look, we have to stop now, this is getting too intense,” Lind remembers telling the underage girl.

He also claimed that he wanted to respect the girl’s wish not to have sex before marriage.

He stated in his statement that he had set clear boundaries because he knew the girl was too young to consent to sexual acts.

“I said that because of the age difference, nothing sexual could happen,” Lind told the jury.

Lind admitted to kissing the 14-year-old, but said he broke off the physical contact before it became sexual

He told the court he had not disclosed his sexual encounter with the underage girl because he was “quite ashamed” of his attraction to “someone slightly younger than me”.

Lind was found not guilty by the jury of having anal sex with the girl, but was found guilty of charges that he had his hand on her stomach and inner thigh and that he had performed oral sex on her in a separate incident.

After further deliberation, the jury reached a final verdict of not guilty on charges that Lind put his hand down the trousers of a 15-year-old girl, without her consent, while in his car on Dee Why beach.

Lind denied the accusation.

The Public Prosecution Service’s request for detention was rejected on Tuesday afternoon and the case was postponed to allow the verdict to be heard at a later date.