Another brutal blow for young surf coach accused of grooming and sexually assaulting young boys

A well known surf coach who was accused of shocking crimes against children has been hit with fresh charges after telling a court the existing allegations were ‘all true’. 

Connor John Christopher Lyons, 26, from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast allegedly confessed to child-related offences during police interviews, with at least eight boys reportedly having come forward.

Lyons, who once had more than 9,000 followers on social media, appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court via videolink on Thursday.

Acting Sergeant Tara Miles told the court that prosecutors had laid four more charges against Lyons over the alleged indecent treatment of children under-12, news.com.au reported.

The new charges mentioned on Thursday relate to four additional boys and takes his total alleged offences to 33.

‘They are of a similar nature,’ Sgt Miles said.

She added the investigating officer was ‘urgently’ preparing a brief of evidence.

The court heard that Lyons would represent himself after dropping his solicitor Bradford Hill, who was granted leave by court on Monday to discharge himself from the case.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan asked Lyons on Thursday if he would like an adjournment to get legal advice before the hearing began, which he declined.

‘I’m all good thanks, all the charges on there are all true,’ Lyons told the magistrate.

When asked if he had seen the witness statements, Lyons said he had ‘seen them all’.

Police will allege he committed indecent acts against children known to him in a professional capacity as a surf coach.

Lyons was arrested on the Sunshine Coast last December and charged with 12 counts of indecently assaulting children, and three counts of wilful exposure. 

The incidents allegedly involved two boys on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts over a 14-month period from August 2023.

He was also charged with additional child abuse crimes after he allegedly admitted to watching child exploitation material while out on bail. 

Lyons was charged him with another 14 offences, including making child exploitation material, grooming and damaging evidence with intent. 

Those alleged offences reportedly involved at least four boys, two under the age of 16 and two under 12.

On Monday, Lyons told the court he wanted to plead guilty to the charges against him and that he had received the police brief of evidence.

The court previously heard Lyons allegedly accessed and deleted child exploitation material from a device at his mother’s Sunshine Coast house, before relocating to his father’s home in Gympie 85km away. 

Police prosecutor Tegan Smith alleged Lyons had told police during an interview after his arrest that he had first accessed child abuse material more than a decade ago. 

Ms Smith also claimed Lyons recalled first abusing children as early as 2018, prompting her to label him a ‘substantial risk to children’.

‘It does not matter where he lives … by his own admission, he cannot stop this behaviour,’ she told the court.

The prosecutor argued the alleged evidence against Lyons and the serious nature of his charges indicated his alleged crimes were ‘substantially worse’ than initially thought following his initial release on bail.

‘He has admitted to not only abusing these children, but filming that abuse against these innocent and vulnerable children,’ she said.

‘He has admitted to watching that over and over and masturbating to that material … and then, after being given the benefit of bail, destroying that evidence that he’s had of those videos.’

The court also previously heard Lyons allegedly granted police access to his phone but wouldn’t allow them to search a computer program, which allegedly had the means to share child abuse material internationally.

As Ms Smith theorised on Lyons’ reasoning for denying officers access, Magistrate Rodney Madsen cut the prosecutor short and told Lyons, ‘there is absolutely no chance of you getting bail’.

‘There are probably no conditions that could be imposed by any magistrate that could reduce the risk to children,’ the magistrate said.

‘The community cannot be protected from you unless you are in custody.’

An analysis of Lyons’ laptop reportedly uncovered links to child exploitation material, with police alleging he also admitted to offending against children on a trip to China. 

Lyons remains in custody at Woodford Correctional Centre.

The case was adjourned until May 12. 

His account with a large social following has since been deactivated. 

Police previously urged anyone with any further information on the case to come forward.