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.
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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.