Double life of Anthony ‘Hot Mess’ Hess revealed in court

The colourful double life of a former high-flying Bitcoin trader has been revealed as he fights to be freed on bail on drug trafficking charges.

Former celebrity hanger-on Anthony Hess was reportedly living a double life as a male escort. Picture: Supplied

A former high-flying Bitcoin trader was working as a male escort before his arrest on drug trafficking charges, it has been suggested in court.

The colourful double life of Anthony “Hot Mess” Hess has been revealed as he continues to push a magistrate to free him on bail.

He has been on remand, charged with importing methamphetamine, cocaine and ketamine, since his arrest by Australian Federal Police officers on June 14.

But Mr Hess, 42, has committed to wearing a tamper-proof electronic monitoring device that would track his every move if he was allowed to return to his South Melbourne apartment instead of the confines of his “horrible” prison cell while his case progresses through court.

His parents, William and Theresa Hess, who have dialled into their son’s Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearings from their Sandy Bay home in Tasmania, have also offered a $25,00 surety and to pay for the GPS monitoring to help secure his release.

They also promised they would keep tabs on their son and report any breaches to police if he stepped out of line.

But magistrate Alexandra Burt expressed concerns about how they would be able to keep a watchful eye on their son across the Bass Strait.

“We would ring him at least every day,” Mr Hess Snr told the court.

“We will fly over on a very regular basis to check up on him, as well.”

Anthony Hess with Toby Mitchell.. Picture: Supplied

The prosecution opposed bail, arguing Mr Hess was a flight risk, as he had been living in the US before his arrest and had expressed a desire to return.

The court heard he had also been found with a fake Michigan driver’s licence with his photo but a different name when arrested.

The prosecution said messages on Mr Hess’s phone indicated he had nothing or anyone keeping him in Australia, which surprised his father, who said he had his parents and brother.

When probed about what their son did for work in the US, Mr Hess Snr told the court he was “involved in a marketing program” which involved setting up a business selling mens’ and ladies’ clothing and homewares.

Anthony Hess with former Collingwood star Dane Swan.

Hess enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, partying on both sides of the pacific. Picture: Supplied

Asked what he was doing now, his father said: “He told me he was doing casual work for different people”.

“Was it correct that he was a male escort before his remand?” the prosecutor said.

“I didn’t know about that,” Mr Hess Snr said.

Mr Hess Snr also revealed he was aware of his son’s substance abuse issues, in particular his mixing Stilnox and Xanax with alcohol.

“That wasn’t a good combination,” Mr Hess Snr said.

The bail application, first launched on July 11, has been heard across multiple days, weeks apart, as fresh evidence was called, and court timetabling was limited.

It returned on Thursday where further submissions were cut short yet again with only a 45-minute timeslot set aside.

But the court heard the drug purity lab tests had returned, meaning two charges relating to importing and possessing a commercial quantity of cocaine had to be downgraded to the lesser charge of marketable quantity.

Mr Hess is still facing commercial quantity charges over the methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Ms Burt adjourned the case to August 25, when she will hand down her decision as to whether to bail Mr Hess.