Kane Oliver Egan charged with prostitution of mentally impaired child

A Queensland man facing 11 charges including prostituting children, one of whom had a cognitive impairment, has begged to be released on bail.

Kane Oliver Egan was refused bail while facing multiple charges including provision of prostitution with a child/intellectually impaired person.

A Bundaberg labourer has been refused bail on 11 charges including prostituting children – one of them intellectually impaired.

Kane Oliver Egan, 46, appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court applying for bail while facing charges of knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution of a child/intellectually impaired person, possessing and supplying dangerous drugs and aggravated supply of dangerous drugs to a child.

Mr Egan appeared from custody via videolink, wearing green prison garb and frequently shaking his head, muttering and putting his head in his hands.

Magistrate John McInnes told the court Mr Egan’s alleged victims included people who were used to procure acts of prostitution while under the legal age limit for prostitution, one of whom had a “low cognitive capacity”.

In considering Mr Egan’s bail application, Mr McInnes said his main concern was the vulnerability of the victim and the possibility they would try to contact Mr Egan.

“One atypical feature of the case is there seem to be alleged victims who would be more than usually susceptible to any manner of interference,” Mr McInnes said.

The court heard Mr Egan primarily used text messages to communicate with the victims, with Mr McInnes reading one exchange where Mr Egan contacted one of the victims and asked, “hey, are you available for a job?”.

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The victim replied “Yes, how much”, to which Mr Egan responded “same as last time minus my cut. Well, it’s $250 + $50 for a cab. I might have a driver for you yet”.

Some time later Mr Egan contacted the victim again to tell her that another person “is going to do that job”, giving the name of the cognitively impaired victim.

The defence lawyer for Mr Egan, Nick Larder, made the submission that Mr Egan should be released on bail with the conditions that he should not contact the victims and witnesses, and he must make his mobile phone available for inspection at regular intervals.

Mr Larder said Mr Egan would submit to a curfew between the hours of 8pm and 5am, which would allow him to continue his work as a labourer, and said it was unlikely he would be able to contact the victim due to her being under the care of support services who are “mindful of any influence that Mr Egan would be able to exert over her”.

Police prosecutor Andrew Powis said it would be unlikely Mr Egan would comply with a condition to make his mobile phone available for inspection as he had refused to do so throughout the police investigations of the matters before the court.

Mr McInnes refused bail on the basis of the seriousness of the alleged criminal activity, the vulnerability of the alleged victims and Mr Egan’s history of failing to appear in court and being uncooperative with police attempts to procure his mobile phone.

When Mr McInnes declared he would refuse bail, Mr Egan put his head in his hands and said “no, please, please, I’m begging you”.

Mr Egan’s matter will next be heard on October 31, 2023, in Bundaberg Magistrates Court, with Mr Egan to again appear from custody via videolink.