
Over 56 000 child porn files confiscated: Standerton man remains behind bars
Ridge Times reports that he appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court for a bail application yesterday, but it was postponed to August 18.
The man was arrested when the police conducted an operation in Standerton last Wednesday.
An integrated team executed a search-and-seizure warrant, which led to the arrest of the accused. During the operation, the team also seized 15 licensed firearms and several digital devices.
While processing the scene, forensic experts uncovered more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material. The forensic investigation is ongoing.
The operation was led by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations Unit in Mpumalanga, with support from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Embassy, the Local Criminal Record Centre and designated firearm officers in Standerton.
The suspect first appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court last Thursday.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk confirmed that the arrest was part of Operation Bad Vibes and brought the arrests under the national campaign to 16.
Initiated in 2023, Operation Bad Vibes is a joint initiative between the SAPS and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Embassy, aimed at tracing and arresting people in South Africa who are linked to accessing, possessing, manufacturing and distributing child sexual abuse material on a global scale.
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The Citizen
05-08-2025
- The Citizen
Over 56 000 child porn files confiscated: Standerton man remains behind bars
A 59-year-old man is due to appear in the Standerton Magistrate's Court on August 18 in connection with the possession of more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse. Ridge Times reports that he appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court for a bail application yesterday, but it was postponed to August 18. The man was arrested when the police conducted an operation in Standerton last Wednesday. An integrated team executed a search-and-seizure warrant, which led to the arrest of the accused. During the operation, the team also seized 15 licensed firearms and several digital devices. While processing the scene, forensic experts uncovered more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material. The forensic investigation is ongoing. The operation was led by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations Unit in Mpumalanga, with support from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Embassy, the Local Criminal Record Centre and designated firearm officers in Standerton. The suspect first appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court last Thursday. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk confirmed that the arrest was part of Operation Bad Vibes and brought the arrests under the national campaign to 16. Initiated in 2023, Operation Bad Vibes is a joint initiative between the SAPS and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Embassy, aimed at tracing and arresting people in South Africa who are linked to accessing, possessing, manufacturing and distributing child sexual abuse material on a global scale. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on


The South African
02-08-2025
- The South African
Mpumalanga man appears in court over 56 000 child abuse files
A 59-year-old man from Mpumalanga appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court after police arrested him for allegedly possessing more than 56 000 child sexual abuse videos and images. Police carried out the arrest on Wednesday, 30 July, during Operation Bad Vibes, a joint initiative between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in collaboration with the US Embassy. Launched in 2023, Operation Bad Vibes aims to trace and arrest individuals allegedly involved in accessing, possessing, manufacturing, and distributing child sexual abuse material. The operation targets offenders operating within South Africa who are linked to global child exploitation networks. Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Van Wyk confirmed that this arrest brought the total number of suspects apprehended under Operation Bad Vibes to 16. An integrated law enforcement team executed a search-and-seizure warrant at the suspect's property in Standerton. During the operation, officers seized 15 licensed firearms and multiple digital devices. 'Forensic experts processed the scene and allegedly uncovered more than 56 000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material,' said Van Wyk. 'The forensic investigation is still ongoing,' she added. The Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Unit in Mpumalanga led the operation. The Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), designated firearm officers in Standerton, HSI, and the US Embassy provided operational support. The suspect made his first court appearance on Thursday, 31 July. The court postponed the case to 4 August 2025 for a formal bail application. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
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The Citizen
01-08-2025
- The Citizen
Massive child abuse material seized in Standerton operation [PICS]
A 59-year-old suspect has been arrested for possessing more than 56 000 videos and images of child sexual abuse material in Standerton. Police in Mpumalanga seized more than 56 000 videos and images of child sexual abuse material during an operation in Standerton, leading to one arrest. Operation Bad Vibes is continuing to yield positive results after a 59-year-old man was arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material on Wednesday. The operation is an initiative launched in 2023 between the South African Police Service (Saps), the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the US Embassy. Operation Bad Vibes yields more arrests 15 licensed firearms. Picture: Saps. The operation's goal is to trace and arrest suspects in South Africa linked to accessing, possessing, manufacturing, and distributing child sexual abuse material worldwide. Wednesday's arrest has brought the total number of arrests under the initiative to 16. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the suspect was arrested when an integrated team carried out a search-and-seizure warrant on Wednesday. ALSO READ: 'David vs Goliath': Meta agrees to hand over child porn channel creator information Several digital devices were seized. Picture: Saps During the operation, the team also seized 15 licensed firearms and several digital devices. 'While processing the scene, forensic experts uncovered more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material; the forensic investigation is ongoing,' Van Wyk said. The operation was led by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Unit in Mpumalanga, with support from HSI, the US Embassy, the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), and designated firearm officers in Standerton. More than 56 000 videos and images of child sexual abuse material 15 licensed firearms. Picture: Saps. The suspect appeared in the Standerton Magistrate's Court on Thursday. The case has been postponed to 4 August 2025 for a formal bail application. In April, an Eastern Cape father was sentenced to two life terms and an additional 3 713 years behind bars for more than 700 counts of sexual crimes, including exposing his daughter to child pornography. The Gqeberha High Court found the 56-year-old guilty of a slew of heinous offences, including rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, human trafficking, possession, production, and procuring of child pornography, as well as exposing children and a person living with mental disability to pornography. NOW READ: Meta complies, shuts down Instagram accounts and WhatsApp channels posting sexual content of SA school children