Wife of former AFL star Ricky Olarenshaw arrested in Bali sex raids

Essendon premiership star Ricky Olarenshaw has left Bali amid claims he was part-owner of a spa allegedly involved in “prostitution practices”.

Rick Olarenshaw playing for Essendon in 1996.

Essendon premiership star Ricky Olarenshaw has left Bali amid allegations he part-owned a spa engaged in prostitution.

Two Australians have been arrested for operating a spa that allegedly offered prostitution services.

Michael Le Grand, 55, and Lynley Le Grand, 44, both from Victoria, were arrested alongside others on Friday in relation to two establishments – the Pink Palace Spa and Flame Spa.

The latter allegedly has ties to Olarenshaw.

Indonesian police held a press conference late on Friday where they revealed details of the arrests.

Footage shows the moment officers escorted 11 handcuffed people from the detention centre at the headquarters of Bali Police, in Denpasar

Police escorted them through a carpark outside the police station to a media conference where they were then lined up in a row with their backs turned against cameras.

James Hird and Rick Olarenshaw of the Bombers celebrate winning the 1993 AFL Grand Final. Picture: Getty Images

Police stood behind them as the Australian couple had their heads bowed before they were led away with the other suspects.

Five people were arrested at Flame Spa, while the Victorian couple, from Moonee Ponds and Mount Waverley, were two of six arrested at the Pink Palace Spa.

An underage massage therapist was also found to be working at the Pink Palace Spa, according to investigators.

The Australian couple faces 12 years in prison if found guilty.

Police held up pieces of evidence collected from the spas. The Flame Spa, in Seminyak, and the Pink Palace Spa, in Kerobokan, have been shut down.

General crime director of Bali police, Ketut Suarnaya said: “Bali police have followed up on information from the community that there was prostitution being disguised as spa therapy in two separate places.”

Customers at Flame Spa were allegedly charged between $95 and $181, while customers at Pink Palace paid anywhere between $95 and $238, police said. Pink Palace Spa allegedly made between $A94,500-$286,000 per month.

It comes after Olarenshaw left Bali amid claims he was a part-owner of Flame Spa.

His wife, social media influencer Sarnanitha, was arrested when police raided the massage parlour last month.

A long-time resident of the Indonesian party island, Olarenshaw allegedly split from Sarnanitha and their young daughter about the same time.

He is known as “The King of Bali” in AFL circles and last year drew headlines for his “epic” 50th birthday bash, surrounded by pole dancers and scantily clad women.

He moved to the island paradise in 2013 and became a successful businessman off the back of three F45 gym studios.

He has been long known as the go-to man for AFL stars wanting to party in Bali over the past decade.

Flame Spa in Bali.

Inside the Flame Spa.

Olarenshaw was a member of the “Baby Bombers” 1993 premiership side alongside superstars James Hird, Dustin Fletcher and Mark Mercuri.

He became a driving force for Australian rules in Bali, coaching and playing for the local Geckos football team.

One of his former teammates Wayne Carey – he switched to North Melbourne for one season at the end of his career – has been a regular, with his Instagram full of well-known football identities such as Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin and Ricky Nixon.

Olarenshaw and his business partners are believed to have returned to Australia just before the raids took place.

It is unclear whether Olarenshaw or the other owners had any knowledge of the goings-on at Flame.

Prostitution and sex work is illegal in Bali and considered a crime against “decency and morality”.

At the time of the raids, the head of public relations of the Bali Police, senior commissioner of police Jansen Avitus Panjaitan, said three women had been arrested.

“The three people are Flame Spa employees – one manager and two receptionists,” he said in a statement in Denpasar last month, adding the case was still under investigation.

Sarnanitha, who is named as a commissioner at Flame Spa, was later arrested along with director “Purnami” on October 4 and are languishing in a Bali police detention cell along with the three other spa staff.

“The next process is to obtain legal certainty,” Mr Panjaitan said.

Flames Spa has the motto “Our service is more than just a sensual massage, it is an erotic experience. Our aim is to ignite your flame”.

Sarnanitha has more than 20,000 followers on social media.

She is fighting to avoid a lengthy stint in jail and is worried her young daughter with Olarenshaw will be taken away from her.

Through her lawyer, Donny Tri Istiqomah, Sarnanitha made a statement – before being detained – that Page 13 has seen.

The Flame Spa workers who are under arrest in Bali. Picture: Bali Police

She states the sensual massage leading to prostitution was run by Olarenshaw and his Australian business partners, and she felt exploited in the management of Flame Spa, which provided sensual massage services.

In the statement, she also alleges that after she and Olarenshaw separated this year, the other shareholders demanded she hand over the unpaid dividends or else they would imprison Sarnanitha along with other Flame staff “through their network in the police”.

Olarenshaw was a member of the ‘Baby Bombers’ 1993 premiership side.

Rick Olarenshaw.

Olarenshaw’s Playboy-themed 50th in Bali. Pictures: Facebook

The Herald Sun is not saying her allegations are true, only that they have been made.

None of the men alleged to be involved responded to Page 13’s inquiries when asked about Flame Spa.

There is no suggestion any of those football identities ever engaged in services at the Flame Spa.

Originally published as Wife of former AFL star Ricky Olarenshaw arrested in Bali sex raids