Manager charged after raid

Motel allegedly used for prostitution

A MOTEL manager has been charged after police allegedly found illegal work happening in the establishment.

Robert Stuart Mclean, 52, was arrested and charged on August 12 after police raided his Rosslea motel and allegedly discovered evidence of prostitution.

Police will allege five rooms at the Q Express Motel on Bowen Rd were being used by multiple prostitutes.

It will be alleged Mclean was providing them with the location for the illegal work, but it is unclear how long it had been running before the raid.

Townsville Major Organised Crime Squad detectives charged Mclean with having interest in a premises used for the purposes of prostitution in August.

The Townsville City man faced court for the first time on Monday where his lawyer adjourned his matter until September.

Mclean was well-dressed in a suit and tie, and did not wish to comment further about his charge after his court appearance.

In Queensland, it is not illegal to be a sex worker, but there are strict guidelines and frameworks around the industry, which each person involved must abide by.

Q Express Motel accommodates guests in a basic establishment that is “ideal for business or leisure”, according to booking websites.

The motto on the business’ sign reads “sleep with us”.

Since July 2018, 42 prostitution-related offences had been recorded in the Northern Region.

Mclean is allegedly the second motel manager in less than two years charged over allegedly facilitating prostitution.

In an unrelated 2019 incident, Yang Zhi Chen, 47, was charged for running a prostitution venue out of Ridgemont Executive Motel in North Ward for more than two years.

It has since been renamed to Island View Motel.

In Chen’s court sentence, it was revealed he was charging women $800 a day for use of a room.

Chen was fined $9000 after pleading guilty to the charges.

Mclean will face court again on September 28.