3 days ago
Video: Bail application postponed for Standerton man allegedly found with child porn
The bail application hearing for a man arrested after almost one million child sexual abuse images was alledly found in his possesion, has been postponed to Thursday.
According to Ridge Times, the 59-year-old man looked dishevelled as he was led to the dock of the Standerton Magistrate's Court this morning.
He is facing charges of possessing and distributing child pornography, one count of sexual grooming, and one count of compelled sexual assault. The latter, as defined under South African law, occurs when someone forces a third party to commit a sexual act against another person's will.
The man was not asked to plead, rendering it still illegal for the media to publish the well-known resident's name.
Bail hearing testimony
The investigating officer, Warrant Officer Lelani de Lange from the Serial Electronic Crimes Unit, testified for the state that bail should not be granted.
She described the accused as a 'pedophile', stating that a total of 954 000 images were found on hard drives. More than 59 000 images were found on one device, with the rest on other external hard drives also found in the man's possession.
These included images of children being sexually abused and could also include AI images depicting child pornography.
According to De Lange, the distribution charge relates to the numerous child pornography websites the man had joined.
'To be part of these sites, members are also expected to share images,' she said.
She testified that this municipal employee should not be granted bail because he might interfere with a young victim; he is a danger to society as he lives next to a pre-school; and police believe the man suffers from depression and has suicidal tendencies.
Defence arguments
Speaking on behalf of the accused, lawyer André Moolman said there are no medical records to indicate that his client suffers from depression.
He referred to the evidence in the case as insufficient and emphasised several technical issues.
Moolman told the court that his client's photos were leaked to the media, causing further complications.
He said his client has been married for 31 years, is well-known in the community, and could lose his employment if he is not granted bail, which would negatively affect his wife.
Moolman also stated that his client suffers from scoliosis, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. He claimed that the accused cannot sleep without his CPAP machine, which is currently not available to him.
Magistrate Sabelo Tembe presided.
Members of the Justice for All group picketed at outside the court as they do not want bail to be granted to the accused.
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