A convicted sex offender and former pharmacist has been found dead in a Bali hotel room after staff forced entry when he failed to check out. Kenneth Leslie Sternes, 77, was discovered unresponsive at the Cove Griya Elite 1 hotel in East Denpasar on Wednesday afternoon.
Sternes, a former Brisbane pharmacist, was jailed in Queensland in 2010 for grooming a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Hotel staff became concerned when he did not vacate the room by the midday checkout time and failed to respond to repeated knocks.
A housekeeper first knocked at around 1pm, with staff trying again an hour later. By 3pm, a locksmith was called to open the door. Upon entry, staff found Sternes lying on the floor and contacted doctors from Bali International Hospital Sanur. Medical staff examined him at the scene and declared him dead.
Police believe Sternes died approximately six hours before he was found. East Denpasar Police chief Ketut Tomiyasa said officers responded to a report of the death at about 5.30pm. 'We have also collected witness statements at the scene,' he added.
Police reported no signs of violence and suspect Sternes died from an illness. Officers found medication in the room, including Tamsulosin hydrochloride—used to treat an enlarged prostate—and two insulin injections. An examination revealed injection marks on his right wrist, a catheter attached to his groin, and livor mortis on his back.
Other items found included two white iPhones, a wallet with a small amount of cash, travel documents, an Australian Organ Donor Register card, and a Dell laptop bag. His body was taken to Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar. Hotel management contacted the Australian Consulate to notify Sternes' family.
In 2010, Sternes, then 61, was found guilty of grooming a child under 16 and exposing a child to indecent material. The court heard he communicated online with an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl, sending explicit material and arranging to meet her at his home. He claimed to be 29 years old. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison, with 13 months to be served.
Balinese police said the investigation is ongoing. 'We are still waiting for the family approval to do an autopsy to find the cause of the death,' Mr Tomiyasa stated.
