Bonnie, whose real name is Tia Billinger, had been using the locally purchased single-cab utility to travel to party hotspots in Bali for Schoolies week, documenting the journeys online.
Badung Police Chief Arif Batubara told reporters on Friday they had made the arrests after a report from a member of the public.
The individual had raised the alarm about ‘suspected pornography or the creation of indecent video material’.
Pornography is banned in Indonesia, with those found guilty of violating the law facing severe penalties, including fines and jail. Sex work is also a ‘crime against morality’, despite being tolerated and regulated in some parts of the country.
After appearing at Badung police station, the group of men could be seen walking single file out to a truck, covering their faces with shirts to hide from the waiting press pack.
Bonnie Blue and more than a dozen Australian men have been arrested in Bali after allegedly making pornographic material, despite Indonesia’s strict ‘morality’ laws.
The British sex worker and a group of 17 male tourists, aged between 19 and 40 and from Australia and the UK, were taken into police custody on Thursday afternoon following a raid of a studio in Badung.
Along with several cameras, police seized 19 outfits labelled ‘School Bonnie Blue’, a box of condoms, lubricant, nine pink necklaces, flash drives, two sheets of Viagra pills – some used – and her ‘Bangbus’ truck and the ownership certificate.
Bonnie, whose real name is Tia Billinger, had been using the locally purchased single-cab utility to travel to party hotspots in Bali for Schoolies week, documenting the journeys online.
Badung Police Chief Arif Batubara told reporters on Friday they had made the arrests after a report from a member of the public.
The individual had raised the alarm about ‘suspected pornography or the creation of indecent video material’.
Pornography is banned in Indonesia, with those found guilty of violating the law facing severe penalties, including fines and jail. Sex work is also a ‘crime against morality’, despite being tolerated and regulated in some parts of the country.
After appearing at Badung police station, the group of men could be seen walking single file out to a truck, covering their faces with shirts to hide from the waiting press pack.
On Friday, 14 of the men – who are all Australian – were released from police custody without charge.
‘Today, with assistance from Immigration, we are releasing the 14 Australians who were detained yesterday for clarification and investigative purposes as witnesses,’ Mr Batubara told the media.
‘They are being released because they do not meet the criteria for further suspicion, as the case is still under investigation.’
Three British men and Bonnie are still under investigation and are being questioned at Badung police station. They have not been charged with any offences.
‘(The four British nationals) stated that they were simply part of a foreign community gathering at the studio,’ Mr Batubara continued.
‘According to their explanation, they were a group from the same area, and some of them are influencers or content creators.’
Officers have not provided specific details about what ‘activities’ took place, as the investigation remains ongoing, Mr Batubara said.
The arrest of Bonnie comes just days after Bali police had confirmed to the Daily Mail that her ‘Bangbus’ was not legal.
According to government documents, the vehicle is registered as being white but has been repainted dark blue, with the respray plainly visible in her recent online posts.
The Daily Mail also revealed on Wednesday that the ute’s vehicle tax expired in 2023.
If a vehicle colour does not match up with its STNK (a vehicle registration certificate which must be carried in the cabin at all times) it can result in a fine of up to 500,000 rupiah – AU$46 – or two months in prison.
For Bonnie’s Bangbus to comply with local laws, she would need to update the colour so it matches registration by presenting at a vehicle registration agency office, armed with her ID, the car’s STNK, vehicle ownership document, and a certificate from the workshop where the repainting was done.
The ute would need to be re-registered and inspected by a staff member from the agency office.
The arrest and warning about the truck come as Bonnie has been prowling well-known local bars including Seminyak’s Motel Mexicola, markets, and resorts.
In one night-time vlog, she filmed a group of rowdy Aussie teens riding in the back, joking to parents, ‘Remember when I said I was going to pick your sons up? I wasn’t lying.’
One man chimed in that he was being a ‘good boy’ and simply ‘living Bali life’.
She has also been spotted at official Schoolies events, lanyards on display, taking shots and telling the teenagers: ‘Boys, get to Schoolies!’
The OnlyFans star was banned from Australia last year over her smutty Schoolies plans after a Change.org petition was signed by tens of thousands of furious Aussies.
The entertainer had publicly stated that she planned to attend Schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast and create explicit content with newly turned 18-year-olds – material she intended to monetise on her adult platforms.
Because she had applied for a standard visitor visa, which strictly prohibits paid work or commercial activity, her declarations online raised immediate red flags.
The Department of Home Affairs reviewed her case and cancelled the visa before she could enter the country, noting that her intended activities amounted to conducting business while posing as a tourist.
The controversy erupted further when a petition circulated online, gaining thousands of signatures from Australians urging the government to deny her entry.
The visa cancellation triggered an automatic re-entry ban, meaning Bonnie is now prevented from visiting Australia for several years unless she is granted a special exemption – a process typically reserved for exceptional circumstances.
(Article from Daily Mail UK)
