A 27-year-old man from the Western Cape has been handed a 195-year sentence in the Paarl Regional Court for a string of horrific crimes involving child pornography and the exploitation of his own children.
The man was found guilty on a multitude of charges, including two counts of trafficking in persons for online exploitation, four counts of rape of two minor children, three counts of using children for or benefiting from child pornography, 629 counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of unlawful and intentional distribution of child pornography, and three counts of child abuse.
The affected children included two girls aged six, another girl aged four, and a one-year-old boy, all victims of their father's depraved actions.
While the court sentenced the accused to a total of 195 years, it ordered that most of the sentences run concurrently.
According to Western Cape spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila, the matter did not proceed to trial.
Ntabazalila explained: “The State and the accused, to facilitate the children from secondary victimisation, finalised the matter by way of a plea and sentencing agreement.” This decision was made to protect the young victims from further trauma associated with a lengthy and public trial.
The stay-at-home dad was motivated by financial gain, creating child pornography for profit. At the time of his crimes, the conversion rate was $18 to the Rand.
The man's actions were brought to light after an online undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Task Force Officer, posing as the administrative user of a sharing social media application, forwarded information to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation on 22 December 2022.
Following the tip-off, the man was arrested on 30 May 2023. Police seized his cellphone, which he had used to commit the crimes against his children, providing crucial evidence in the case.
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