Senior Commonwealth Bank executive Christopher James McCann loses job, accounts frozen after being charged with procuring child: court
Christopher James McCann sat stony-faced in Brisbane Arrests Court on Monday – days after his arrest by NSW detectives at the Sydney Airport terminal – as he applied for bail.
Despite magistrate Louise Shepherd acknowledging the seriousness of the charge, Mr McCann's lawyer David Jones KC criticised the police's material in objecting to bail as 'unprofessional' and engaging in 'fortune telling'.
Mr McCann, 50, is charged with a single count of using the internet to procure a child under 16 for a sexual act.
His co-accused, Shauntelle Elizabeth Went, 18, is also facing the same charge.
Neither have entered any pleas.
On Monday, the court was told police alleged Mr McCann – a married father of two who travelled frequently interstate – formed a 'connection' with Ms Went, a sex worker.
It is further alleged Mr McCann was organising to use her services while in Brisbane in May but queried if she had any 'younger friends' she worked with.
'You made an arrangement and agreed on a price to use Ms Went's services and that of two underage girls,' Ms Shepherd said in her summary of the police allegations.
The teen girls, aged 14 and 15, and Ms Went allegedly attended the Sofitel Hotel, but Ms Shepherd said it was not alleged the girls went up to Mr McCann's room.
The court was told Mr McCann was no longer employed by Commonwealth Bank as a result of the charges.
His financial accounts had also been frozen by detectives.
Police opposed Mr McCann's bail, claiming there was a risk of further offending and general safety to the community.
But Mr Jones took issue with affidavits filed by the arresting officer that he said engaged in 'speculation' and were lacking in objectivity.
He also pointed to an affidavit prepared by a clinical psychologist who did not even assess his client.
Mr Jones said the police material was speculative and engaging in 'fortune telling', telling the court his client was not in a show-cause position and therefore had a prima facie case for bail being granted.
'What would ordinarily be against an applicant, they have flipped,' Mr Jones said.
'So the fact he's 50 years old with no criminal history, doesn't use drugs, doesn't drink – ordinarily for everybody else, that would be a benefit, but for him, that's a disadvantage.'
Ms Shepherd granted Mr McCann bail – ordering him to report to police once a week, not to drink or use illicit drugs and be subject to drug testing.
He was also ordered to possess only one phone.
Ms Went was also granted bail during an application before Ms Shepherd.
The court was told Ms Went was receiving a disability support pension and received money through her OnlyFans account.
Both Mr McCann and Ms Went will return to court on August 4.
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