West Australian tech entrepreneur Laurence Escalante has appeared in a Perth court facing a string of charges including allegations he assaulted a young woman at her home on Australia Day.
Police allege the 44 year old, who founded online gaming company Virtual Gaming Worlds assaulted a 24 year old woman he knew at her Perth address. They further allege he broke into the property, damaged items and stole belongings.
The case was mentioned in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday where Mr Escalante faced eight charges.
Police said some matters relate to alleged serious family violence incidents between June 2025 and January 2026.
The charges include persistently engaging in family violence, aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm and criminal damage or destruction of property.
Police also allege drugs were found during a search warrant executed on his home on Thursday. A police spokesperson said officers located a trafficable quantity of illicit drugs including cocaine and MDMA.
Mr Escalante was granted bail under strict conditions including a no contact order, limits on travel and regular reporting requirements. The matter is next due back before the same court on 26 February.
Mr Escalante is best known as the founder of Virtual Gaming Worlds, a Perth based company whose products include virtual slot machines, poker games and online casinos. His wealth has been estimated at $4.5 billion on the Australian Financial Review Rich List.
