North Queensland DJ, Christopher James Thurley applies for bail after alleged ‘concerning sexual fantasies’

The man is accused of making and distributing child exploitation material as well as rape, attempted rape and telling a witness in the investigation to lie to police.

Christopher James Thurley applies for bail after being charged with sex offences. Picture: Facebook

A North Queensland man has made a bid for freedom after police uncovered a raft of alleged sex offences during an investigation triggered by allegations he filmed a woman without consent and distributed the videos to others.

Christopher James Thurley who was the former resident DJ at the Bank Nightclub has been charged with rape, attempted rape, making child exploitation material, indecent treatment of a child under 12, indecent treatment of a child under 16, indecent act in any place with intent to insult or offend any person and attempting to pervert justice.

No pleas have been entered for those offences.

He had also been charged with breaching a bail condition after he messaged a complainant involved in other charges, which he pleaded guilty to on the same day as the bail application and was sentenced to two days jail.

Mr Thurley’s application for bail began on February 12 in Townsville Magistrates Court but was not finalised until February 14, where it was ultimately rejected by Magistrate Viviana Keegan who said the man posed an “unacceptable risk” of endangering complainants and obstructing the course of justice.

The court was told Mr Thurley was originally granted bail on December 28 last year for other charges.

“The investigation has uncovered historical range in offending,” police prosecutor John Moran said.

Defence lawyer Michael Hibble argued that it was evident his client required ongoing psychiatric treatment and would not have access to such programs while on remand, and suggested he could get the assistance he needed while in the community.

Magistrate Keegan’s focus when considering the man’s bail application was his charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, as it had been alleged Mr Thurley in a phone call to a witness, told them to lie to police.

Just two days before the man’s bail application, while he was still on his original bail, he was found to be using a “fetish website” in which he spoke to two unknown users he labelled as people he knew and spoke “very explicitly” to.

“That chat log is placed before the court solely on the basis the prosecution says even though you are on bail you continued to engage in concerning sexual fantasies,” Her Honour said.

“I do consider that you’re an unacceptable risk if released on bail, that you would endanger the safety or welfare of the victims of the offences or anyone else’s safety or welfare or interfere with witnesses and otherwise obstruct the course of justice.

“We have multiple complainants now, multiple witnesses on the material before me.”

Mr Thurley who had appeared in the court by video link from the watch house sat expressionless as his bail application was rejected.

Her Honour adjourned the charges to February 28 in Townsville court.

Originally published as North Queensland DJ, Christopher James Thurley applies for bail after alleged ‘concerning sexual fantasies’