As the sun begins to set on Canggu, thumping dance music blares from the DJ booth and models wearing disco balls on their heads dance seductively by the pool at FINNS Beach Club.
About a thousand tourists, many of them from Australia, have descended on the uber-popular and sprawling Bali venue, keen to drink and party into the early hours in the coolest of surrounds.
Not far down the road, a similarly boisterous crowd has gathered at Old Man’s – a bar that’s far less polished than its influencer-adored neighbour but no less happening.
A couple of thousand revellers will walk through the doors here, lured in by cheap drinks, intoxicating tunes and hedonistic vibes.
What no-one at either venues suspects is that there’s a predator in their midst, lurking in the men’s toilets with a hidden camera, catching dozens of unsuspecting victims each day.
Brazenly and without care, he records videos of them urinating and in some cases defecating, then sells them online to scores of subscribers for their sick sexual gratification.
This week, news.com.au revealed the extraordinary operation of Bali’s serial voyeuristic predator, who has been operating between the two venues for at least a year.
He has amassed a cache of several thousand images and videos, taken without the knowledge of his subjects, which includes at least two professional footballers.
The man’s camera is cleverly concealed, meaning no-one has caught him in the act, and it’s of a high quality too, meaning those who feature in his private channels on the encrypted messaging network Telegram are seen in terrifyingly sharp detail.
And he has expressed a particular interest for “straight hotties” from Australia.
Bali’s most popular venues
Those visiting the Indonesian island of Bali have no shortage of spots to entertain themselves, whether looking for a place to look out at the ocean while sipping a cocktail or somewhere to dance the night away.
But arguably, the most popular place to see – and be seen – is FINNS Beach Club.
It’s an enormous hotspot with pools, multiple bars, sprawling lounge areas, dancefloors, restaurants, and even a VIP area for those seeking an ultra-exclusive experience.
If you haven’t been, chances are you’ve seen it on a friend’s social media because FINNS is very, very Instagrammable.
When visiting, you can choose from one of several areas – like the Beach Party space with its lagoon beds in the middle of the pool, the adults-only VIP oceanfront club with its umbrella-covered beds, or the lawn with its picnic-style amenities.
FINNS bills itself as being family friendly, but those with kids are kept out of view at the rear of the compound, leaving the beautiful young people unbothered.
And they are beautiful.
When not guzzling drinks or splashing in the pools, you’ll find these 20-somethings posing endlessly for stylised shorts for their social media feeds.
A must-get photo involves a waitress pouring booze directly from the bottle into a punter’s mouth.
Or there are plenty of chances for a selfie with themed entertainers from the venue, like the disco ball-headed models mentioned earlier.
FINNS is the Bali predator’s preferred venue, probably because almost all of his victims are pictured shirtless, given it’s a beach club.
A group of mates on a boys’ trip. Footy players celebrating the season’s end. A groom and his best men blowing off steam before the big day.
For at least the past year, they’ve all been violated in what should be a private space by the hundreds, if not thousands.
The pervert’s other frequent haunt is just a short stroll away.
The bar Old Man’s is christened after the surf break it looks out over and has been a mainstay of Canggu for years now.
It’s gone through many iterations and was entirely rebuilt in recent years, but despite that, it retains its slightly rustic charm.
The atmosphere here is totally different to FINNS. It’s younger and much more laid-back – at least until later in the evening when it takes on the kind of feel of a bustling nightclub.
A roster of local and international DJs keep people on their feet until late, while cheap drinks ensure they only have more and more fun.
Here, the Bali predator capitalises on the trough-style urinal. There are no individual bowls, so he can film several men at once – something he comments about enjoying.
There are also countless images of men inside cubicles doing their business, which he takes from a concealed area above the dividing wall.
Given the time of night and the more frenetic pace of Old Man’s, many of the men secretly filmed are extremely intoxicated.
Some can barely stand and slump against the wall, with often a mate needed to help them stagger away.
Serious unanswered questions
For several days, news.com.au has made repeated urgent requests for comment to both venues, as the seriousness of the situation became clear.
A man has operated for the better part of 12 months, spending hours a day inside the toilets, ensnaring countless victims and amassing a staggering amount of vision and images.
How he has not been detected by either venues’ security teams is one of many unanswered questions.
Someone spending long stretches of time in a toilet, without being there to do some natural business, would clearly be up to no good.
What also might be considered unusual is someone coming day in, day out, on their own.
That a predator could operate for so long without detection raises questions about the level of safety offered to guests.
Who is this man? How does he gain access repeatedly without raising suspicions? How has no-one recognised the frequent visitor and asked questions?
These and other queries have been put to both venues repeatedly over the past week.
A representative from FINNS has twice advised that a statement would be forthcoming, but no response has been received.
Old Man’s management has not acknowledged the requests at all.
Indonesian police have launched an investigation, assisted by authorities here in Australia, following news.com.au’s reporting.