EXCLUSIVE Convicted child molester and former golf mentor Sean Lynch is hit with new child sex offences - just one year after his release from jail
Lynch, 71, was once known as the 'King of the Kids' for his work coaching junior athletes, including former world No. 1 Jason Day.
But in his role as a mentor in Queensland, Lynch groomed and abused a gifted young girl, telling her it would help her performance on the green.
Lynch kissed and touched the girl and made her perform vile sex acts on him, in what Crown prosecutor Chris Cook described as 'abhorrent and depraved conduct... for his sick, selfish sexual gratification'.
The offending in 2018 and 2019 left the young girl deeply traumatised and no longer able to play golf, despite her extraordinary talent.
Lynch showed no remorse at his 2022 trial and pleaded not guilty to 11 charges. He was eventually found guilty of seven.
The former mentor was sentenced to three years in jail but only served 18 months, as the rest of the sentence was suspended for five years.
Now, only a year after he was released, Lynch has been arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child between the ages of 14-16.
They relate to alleged offending against a girl Lynch knew between 2017 and 2019 in the Murwillumbah area, north of Byron Bay.
Lynch was arrested on Thursday after attending Tweed Heads Police Station.
He appeared in Tweed Heads Court later that day and was granted conditional bail after an unnamed person lodged a $10,000 surety.
The conditions included that he must surrender his Irish passport and not enter any point of departure from Australia, according to court documents.
He was also not to communicate with his alleged victim or her father, or to have any contact with children unless in the company of another adult.
Lynch is due to appear again in Tweed Heads Court on July 18.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Four-week-old baby is found with broken bones in sickening alleged case of child neglect
A man and a woman have been charged after allegedly assaulting a four-week-old baby in Adelaide 's south, leaving the newborn with serious injuries. Police allege the newborn was taken to hospital with a swollen leg on May 3 where a medical examination identified injuries including bone fractures. Detectives from the Southern District Criminal Investigation Branch launched an investigation into the child's injuries. Following investigations, a woman, 34, and a man, 33, both from Reynella East, in Adelaide's south, were arrested on Tuesday. They were both charged with criminal neglect and recklessly causing serious harm. Police said the parties were known to one another. They were granted bail to appear at Christies Beach Magistrates Court in September.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Future King of Norway takes his disgraced stepson Marius Borg Høiby on holiday in Portugal after sexual assault charges
Crown Prince Haakon has been pictured taking his disgraced stepson Marius Borg Høiby on holiday - after Høiby was charged with rape, sexual assault and bodily harm. The future King of Norway, 52, and Høiby, 28, were seen disembarking a plane at Oslo Airport after a five-day vacation in Portugal last Sunday in pictures published by national paper Se og Hør. They were joined by 19-year-old Prince Sverre Magnus, who was seen carrying luggage with headphones on. Borg Høiby was dressed in a yellow T-shirt reading 'Blue Harbor Yacht Club', adding a pair of black joggers and casual trainers, with his tattoos in full view. Haakon meanwhile was in front of him carrying two large bags, and the two appeared engaged in conversation. After the photographs were taken, the trio drive together to Frogner where Høiby is now staying, followed by a royal police escort, the paper reported. Høiby is the son of Princess Mette-Marit, 51, who did not appear to be present on the trip. Neither was his sister, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who recently arrived in Australia to begin her studies at the University of Sydney. Høiby has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 on preliminary charges including rape, bodily harm and criminal damage. Prior to the charges, Haakon and his stepson would often holiday together, and were seen surfing at the Ribeira D'Ilha in the Ericeria area of Portugal in 2016 - where they are believed to have returned for their 2025 visit. They have also been on skiing trips, and have visited Sardinia and Mexico, according to Se og Hor. The two have been close since Marius was a young boy - and he was just three years old when his mother moved in with the prince in Oslo. In November, Prince Haakon addressed his stepson's arrest, telling Norwegian news outlet NRK: 'Marius is facing serious accusations, which the police and the judiciary will deal with. I am convinced they will do a good job. 'As a family and as parents, we have wanted Marius to receive help and we have been working for a long time to get him to a place where he can receive more help. 'It is something we give a lot of priority to. It must be done within the framework established by the legal system.' Last month, Oslo police announced charges against Høiby on multiple counts, including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm after a months-long investigation of a case that involved a 'double-digit' number of alleged victims. State Attorney Sturla Henriksbø has stated that, although it's difficult to predict, there will likely be clarity regarding the royal's charges by mid-August, Se og Hør reported. Oslo Police Attorney Andreas Kruszewski said Høiby, who is the son of Princess Mette-Marit, was cooperative during police questioning, which is now complete. Evidence in the case was drawn from sources including text messages, witness testimonies and police searches, the police attorney said. The charges included one case of rape involving intercourse and two cases of rape without intercourse, four cases of sexual assault and two cases of bodily harm, Kruszewski said at a news conference. 'I cannot go into further detail about the number of victims in the case beyond confirming that it is a double-digit number,' he said. In an email, defence attorney Petar Sekulic said Høiby was 'absolutely taking the accusations very seriously, but doesn't acknowledge any wrongdoing in most of the cases - especially the cases regarding sexual abuse and violence.' The palace was quoted by the Norwegian newswire NTB as saying it would not comment while the case winds its way through the 'normal procedures.' The case was top news in Norway, where the royals are popular. Høiby previously lived with the royal couple and their two children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, but now lives in a separate house nearby, according to Sekulic. Høiby remains free pending a possible trial and is entitled to a presumption of innocence until a court rules otherwise. Once known affectionately as 'Little Marius', Høiby grew up in the public eye, enjoying the same wealth and privilege as his royal siblings, although his biological father, Morten Borg, served time in prison for drugs and violent offences. Høiby has acknowledged cocaine use and addiction. Despite allegations, it was reported that Marius partied it up at Cannes Film Festival earlier this summer, according to Se og Hør. Borg Høiby joined Norwegian businessman Per Morten Hansen, who is a good friend of his father, Morten Borg. He was also seen on board the 165-foot motor yacht 'Da Vinci', a speed marvel worth 20 million dollars and owned by entrepreneur and multi-billionaire Vincent Tchenguiz. After his trip at sea, the Crown Princess's son and his pals went to Île Sainte-Marguerite, a small island off the coast of Cannes. The spot is popular with celebrities such as Elton John, Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyoncé, and the Kardashians. They visited the very exclusive and private La Guérite beach club on the island, which can only be reached via boat. Borg Høiby partied with businessman Rehan Syed, who lives a lavish lifestyle featuring fast boats and cars, as seen on his Instagram account. Borg Høiby has largely continued his life as normal since the charges came to light in August last year, and has since jetted off with friends to Hemsedal, Copenhagen and Italy. He spent one week in custody in November after his arrest due to the risk of tampering with evidence, NRK reported at the time. Among those who have come forward is national media personality Linni Meister, who attended a 'castle basement party' of Borg Høiby's, where the 'attack' is said to have taken place; with police reported to have a video clip. The TV star, 39, reportedly did not remember the alleged assault and only became aware of it after she was informed by law enforcement officials. After the claims came out earlier this year, Linni stated the allegations were 'true' in a Snapchat statement. She has now hit out at Borg Høiby's 'disrespect' in a podcast 'Puppen og Lillemor' with friend and co-host Mia Gundersen, 63. As reported by Se og Hor, Linni became emotional as she criticised the royal for 'running away and going to party' while 'victims' wait for justice. 'He has no respect for himself or his family. Not even for us victims. It's hurtful. What happened afterwards is almost worse for me,' she said tearfully in an episode. 'Instead of doing the right thing, he runs away and goes to a party. I am appalled by how things are being handled by the defendant. And why isn't more happening? It p***es me off! 'If we are going to have a monarchy, we have to be able to trust it. He is not even in a place where he takes care of his health. He travels from country to country to party!' Linni also admitted her heartbreak at the situation, considering she had felt Borg Høiby was a friend. Even when the police had presented her with 'evidence' of her own assault, she said she initially wondered if it had been forged by AI (artificial intelligence). 'Marius doesn't take anything seriously,' she added. 'Everything is like a game to him.' In a statement to the podcast, Borg Høiby's lawyer, Ellen Holager Andenæs, referred to an earlier statement made in light of Linni's earlier Snapchat 'confirmation'. 'I am unfamiliar with statements on social media, and of course I have no desire to have opinions about what is said there,' they said. 'I am concerned that Se og Hør sees reason to refer to that type of statement and reminds me of my call to reflect on the total media pressure in this case. 'I hope Se og Hør does not think of contacting me every time someone expresses themselves on social media. If so, I can only conclude that the bottom has not yet been reached.' The assault is reported to have taken place in 2018 at a 'party among friends' in the basement of Skaugum Castle 2018, when Borg Høiby was 21. He dubbed these 'Skaugum Festivals' and reportedly had criminal friends, including members of motorcycle gangs. After one of these parties, the home was burgled, when a motorcycle gang reportedly stole private items from the Norwegian Royal Family. Items, including silverware, are alleged to have been taken and then attempted to be sold via an auction house. The event is said to have become 'completely out of hand' and continued in the castle basement while Borg Høiby's stepfather, Crown Prince Haakon, slept upstairs. Borg Høiby is the stepson of the future king of Norway. He was four when his mother married the future King Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. His half-sister is the future Queen of Norway. It was during the party that Borg Høiby allegedly raped Linni while she was unconscious, local media reported. Police became aware of the alleged crime after discovering three videos and more than 10 photos of the incident on Borg Høiby's laptop, it was reported. Linni was informed about the alleged assault at the Oslo Police Station, where she was shown the reportedly incriminating evidence. Borg Høiby was accused of rape by a fifth woman, who alleged that it had taken place after he was released from police custody for assaulting his girlfriend. In March, it was reported that another person had become 'involved in the case' and is said to have been questioned by police 'several times,' according to local outlet Aftenposten. This brought forward a new case of 'rape without intercourse', which allegedly took place late last year - when Borg Høiby was already facing a series of assault charges. 'I can confirm that I have been appointed as a legal aid lawyer for a woman in her 20s,' lawyer John Christian Elden said. 'Beyond that, I have no comment on the case.' That same week, the royal was spotted stepping out in Copenhagen looking unrecognisable, dying his hair dark from white blonde and growing it out. The son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit has also spent time at rehab centres in London since his arrest.
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Kmart is hit with bombshell claims it mislead customers about the horrific place it sourced clothing
Retail giant Kmart is facing accusations it misled customers on its ethical credentials by sourcing clothing supplies from factories in China with links to slave labour. An Australian-based Uyghur group has filed a lawsuit against the outlet in the Federal Court, seeking to gain documents so they can see whether it knowingly sourced stock from suppliers who used forced labour from those in the ethnic group. In its ethical sourcing statement, Kmart said it aimed to provide products that respected human rights according to its ethical sourcing code which committed to abiding by international standards, including guidelines set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The lawsuit filed by the Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women's Association claims Kmart included on its 2024 and 2025 factory lists two suppliers with links to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It said this region in China's west has been well- documented for 'systemic state-sponsored forced labour and other atrocities against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim people '. The group wants proof from Kmart that it has abided by its ethical sourcing promises regarding these suppliers and whether its public statements have been misleading or deceptive. Kmart must ensure it is not profiting off forced labour in China, association president Ramila Chanisheff said. 'We're demanding answers from Kmart so we know whether its actions live up to its words about addressing forced labour risks in its supply chain,' she said. The retailer risks a legal claim that it breached Australian Consumer Law by misleading and deceptive conduct if documents show it had failed to monitor the risk of it using forced labour in its supply chain. Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Jennifer Kanis said the firm was using this first-of-its-kind case to bring real accountability to Australian retailers. 'Kmart tells customers that it supports ethical sourcing and the protection of human rights - but we know there are credible links between two of its factories and suppliers and the use of Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang,' Ms Kanis said. Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw said the case highlighted the weaknesses in Australia's laws when members of the public are left to take companies to court on suspicions of modern slavery. Unlike the United States, Australia has not banned imports of products made in the Xinjiang region, instead opting for a transparency approach which requires businesses to report annually on their actions to identify and address slavery risks.
