Cape Town couple ‘used daughters to produce child pornography'
The 47-year-old woman and 48-year-old man were arrested at a 'residence identified through joint investigative efforts' on Tuesday, said police spokesperson Lt-Col Amanda van Wyk.
'The suspects face many charges, including the production of child sexual abuse material (commonly referred to as child pornography), rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming.
'The victims were rescued during the operation and have been placed in a place of safety,' said Van Wyk.
The arrests were carried out by a multidisciplinary team including members of the national and Western Cape serial and electronic crime investigations units, the department of social development, supported by the FBI and homeland security investigations.
Van Wyk said several electronic devices were seized during the bust and the investigation continues.
TimesLIVE reported on Monday how an undercover FBI officer in Washington tipped off police in SA about an unemployed father who used his minor daughters and infant son to create child pornography for financial gain in the Cape winelands.
The man was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
TimesLIVE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald
2 hours ago
- The Herald
Gauteng transport MEC confident violence between e-hailers and taxi industry will be resolved
Gauteng roads and transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela is confident that meetings between stakeholders will bring about an end to the violence between the taxi industry and e-hailers. 'I just want to say to people of Soweto and people of Gauteng, that we now have things under control and we just have met with the Soweto e-hailers organisation,' she said she had met about 16 organisations, the centre manager and taxi associations on Monday. This comes after e-hailing vehicles were attacked last week at Soweto's Maponya Mall, resulting in the death of Siyanda Mthokozisi Mvelase, who had been a driver for only three days. Two other people were injured. Maponya Mall centre manager Jo Morobe said there had been tensions between e-hailers and the taxi industries and the centre had been trying to resolve them. Morobe said they had been engaging e-hailing operators, taxis and the community since 2020 to prevent clashes. Gauteng National Taxi Alliance spokesperson Theo Malele condemned the violent acts but admitted that lawlessness exists among some operators. 'It's sheer thuggery. We encourage the public to report such incidents to authorities. We cannot be a law unto ourselves. At the same time, e-hailing operators need proper leadership because there is a lot of fragmentation. Some vehicles on the ground aren't linked to e-hailing or taxi services, creating lawlessness,' said Malele. Diale-Tlabela said the provincial government has platforms where all operators can engage, but there is often a gap between leadership and people on the ground. She called on e-hailing operators to organise themselves. Diale-Tlabela also acknowledged the trauma caused by last week's incident, saying that what happened was a 'new type of conflict'. "We need law enforcement to investigate and give us proper feedback. We are working to strengthen security with cameras and ensure everyone entering and leaving the mall is identifiable.' She urged unity across the public transport and e-hailing sectors. She said that there will be challenges. 'We are confident we can arrive at a point where operators work together, share experiences and transfer skills. The taxi industry knows our stance and is cooperating. E-hailing drivers are new, some have been forced into this after losing jobs and they need proper grooming and support. As a government, we are committed to helping them so that operations can continue safely,' the MEC said. TimesLIVE
The Herald
3 hours ago
- The Herald
Three of four accused in toddler 'drug' case, including mom, drop bail
Three of the four people from Newclare arrested after a video on social media of a young boy smoking what appeared to be drugs abandoned bail in the Johannesburg magistrate court on Monday. Only accused number 2 is fighting to be released on bail. The accused, who has a previous drug conviction dating back to 2018, faces charges of attempted murder and child abuse alongside his co-accused, who include the boy's mother. The case stems from a viral video that allegedly shows the four-year-old boy lighting a 'harmful' substance in a pipe for his mother and then being encouraged to smoke it himself, with the other accused allegedly present. In an affidavit, the accused told the court he was not a danger to society, would comply with bail conditions and would live with his aunt outside Newclare if granted bail. His lawyer added that his family could afford R3,000 for bail. But the state strongly opposed his release. The investigating officer argued that the accused was identified in the viral video and had even admitted to recording it. The state also argued about the seriousness of the charges and the public outrage surrounding the case, saying granting him bail would undermine confidence in the justice system. It added the accused was unemployed, which raised concerns he might abscond if released. The court heard that the child has been placed in a place of safety while social workers continue their assessments. Magistrate Annalisa Tlhapi reserved judgment on the bail application until Friday. A large group of Newclare residents packed the public gallery in a show of support for the state's opposition to bail. Community activist Melissa Davids said after the application that residents were relieved that three of the accused had abandoned bail but were still deeply worried about the accused who had applied to be released on bail. 'We believe that granting him bail would send the wrong message. Already, we see similar cases coming up. Our children are not safe and we want the courts to send a strong signal that this behaviour will never be tolerated,' said Davids. Davids added that while residents had remained calm throughout the process, they could not guarantee the same restraint in the future if justice was not served. TimesLIVE
The Herald
12 hours ago
- The Herald
Two held for kidnapping of Kariega woman
Two suspects have been arrested for the recent kidnapping of a 73-year-old Kariega woman . Theresa Minnie was abducted outside her Fairbridge Heights home at 5.30am on Monday last week. She was released unharmed by the kidnappers at the weekend. Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the suspects, aged 29 and 31, had been positively linked to Minnie's kidnapping. The suspects were due appear at the Kariega magistrate's court on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, Mhlakuvana said. He said the arrests were a collaborative effort between the Gqeberha-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit of the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and Magama security company. Mhlakuvana said Minnie had been driving out the gate at her home when she was blocked by a Volkswagen Polo and two armed people got out the vehicle. They bundled her into their vehicle and sped off. Mhlakuvana said on the same day a ransom demand had allegedly been made and the matter was handed over to the Hawks for investigation. He said the pressure exerted by a multidisciplinary team had resulted in her being released on Saturday and she was found near the Kariega police station unharmed and reunited with her family. 'An intelligence-driven operation was conducted, which led the team to the suspects' homestead,' Mhlakuvana said. He said they had recovered an undisclosed amount of cash, two vehicles and two firearms that were suspected to have been used in Minnie's kidnapping. These had been seized for further investigation. Hawks provincial head Major-General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya has lauded the investigating team for the arrests. The Herald
