An alleged Canberra rapist may have sexually abused up to 14 victims, according to a prosecutor who says the man has been "preying on children indiscriminately" through social media.
Calwell man Samuel John Doughty, 25, was refused bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday after being charged with two counts of engaging in sexual intercourse with a girl aged 14 in October 2021.
Doughty is also accused of three counts of committing an act of indecency on a different girl, who was 13 at the time, in August 2020.
He did not enter pleas to those charges, nor one of failing on Wednesday to comply with a lawful order made by a magistrate.
Prosecutor Lillian Thomas opposed bail, arguing Doughty was likely to commit offences, intimidate witnesses and endanger others if released from custody.
She described the charges relating to the two girls as "extremely serious", saying Doughty had taken advantage of them being "impressionable young people" in order to target them online.
Ms Thomas indicated more charges were likely to be laid, telling the court "a further 12 females" had told police Doughty had sexually assaulted them.
She added that the alleged victims had expressed concerns Doughty would contact and intimidate them if he was granted bail, while police were worried the 25-year-old would delete social media accounts to destroy evidence.
He had used a variety of usernames, according to Ms Thomas, and "wilfully obstructed" police by refusing a magistrate's order to provide investigators with access to his mobile phone.
A Legal Aid duty lawyer told the court police had seized Doughty's phone as she proposed a set of bail conditions, which included bans on using the internet, being alone with children, and contacting various people.
"He does not have a phone right now," she told the court, saying this might provide Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker with some confidence Doughty would comply with the proposed conditions.
But Ms Walker said she had "real concerns" about potential breaches and, "to be perfectly frank", Doughty's current lack of a phone gave her little confidence.
"Phones can be purchased from the garage, or just about anywhere," she said, adding that a condition banning internet access would be difficult to police because Doughty could go to a shop or a library and use computers there.
Ms Walker ultimately agreed with Ms Thomas about every likelihood put forward by the prosecution and said while the charges related to alleged incidents that were "of some age", she was concerned by a few things.
Chief among them was the way Doughty had allegedly "pursued young people through social media", tracing the location of one by using "Snap Maps".
The 25-year-old's alleged failure to give police access to his phone was also "a significant matter", Ms Walker said as she remanded Doughty in custody.
The case is due back in court on July 28.
