Australian couple in custody after anti-prostitution raids in Bali's Kuta district

ABC NEWS (Australia)

An Australian couple in Bali could face up to 12 years behind bars after being arrested for running a business allegedly linked to prostitution. Police also allege one staff member was under 18.

Transcript

00:0050-year-old Michael Jerome Legrand and 44-year-old Linley Legrand were arrested earlier this week

00:09along with eight staff members at a spa that they own in the popular tourist hotspot Kuta.

00:17That spa, the Pink Palace, was raided by police who say it was being used for illegal commercial

00:24prostitution.

00:26On Friday in Bali, the couple along with the other detained staff members were paraded

00:31for the media.

00:33Police also displayed what they say is seized evidence, including lingerie, condoms and

00:39massage oil.

00:41Prostitution is illegal in Indonesia and police say they are investigating the couple under

00:46the country's anti-pornography law, which carries jail sentences of anywhere between

00:52six months up to 12 years.

00:55But they also say one of the staff members at the Pink Palace allegedly was underage.

01:01She was 17.

01:02And for that reason, investigators are also looking at whether the couple are in breach

01:07of Indonesia's child protection laws.

01:10Now Michael Legrand and Linley Legrand are both long-term residents in Bali.

01:15They operate several businesses, including a sports bar and a popular cafe in Seminyak.

01:23In fact, Linley Legrand is a survivor of the 2002 Bali bombings.

01:29And on the 20th anniversary a couple of years ago, she spoke to the ABC about how she had

01:34made Bali her home and how the couple are raising their children there.

01:40Now those other businesses, the Goat Pub and the Corner Cafe, are operating as usual when

01:45the ABC rang, although staff who answered the phone said they are unaware of the cases.

01:51Investigators say from here on in, they have about 15 days before a deadline where they're

01:56supposed to hand the case over to prosecutors.

02:00But if they haven't prepared enough, they are able to extend it.

02:05For now, the couple remain behind bars.

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