Cairns crime: Michael Arthur Sale charged with carnal knowledge under Operation Kalahari

A seventh man charged with serious offences involving child sexual exploitation has been arrested via Operation Kalahari and faced Cairns Magistrates Court. Read the charges.

CAIRNS Police have charged a seventh man as a result of the Cairns Child Protection and Investigation Unit’s ongoing Operation Uniform Kalahari, established in January to investigate the alleged grooming and exploitation of vulnerable young people in the Cairns area.

Michael Arthur Sale, 39, of Gordonvale, appeared via video link in Cairns Magistrates Court on Thursday, where bail was denied.

He was charged with carnal knowledge of a child under 16, common assault, grooming of a child under 16 or the parent of a child under 16, facilitate procurement of a child to engage in a sexual account, two counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, four counts of using a carriage service to make a threat to cause serious harm, and two counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

No plea was entered.

Magistrate Mandy Bowen said there was a strong case against Mr Sale and the likelihood of a custodial sentence was high.

She said she was not satisfied he would comply with bail conditions and he was an unacceptable risk, noting he had failed to appear in a previous matter.

He was remanded in custody to appear on October 12.

Police have alleged young girls were groomed, indecently assaulted, and supplied with dangerous drugs including methylamphetamine and cannabis.

A 52-year-old Woree man appeared in court earlier this week charged with almost 40 offences in relation to child exploitation.

The first Operation Kalahari arrests began in June when a 56-year-old Cairns man was charged with 25 offences.

Cairns arrests have included a 67-year-old Cairns man charged with 25 offences, a 67-year-old man charged with 14 offences including rape, a 42-year-old man charged with seven offences including rape, and a 71-year-old man charged with eight offences.

Apollo John Daley, 37, of Woree, was charged with 32 offences and remanded in custody in late June.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Michael Arthur Sale charged with carnal knowledge under Operation Kalahari