PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Anti-child abuse activists are hopeful that the case against a Plettenberg Bay computer engineer accused of having links to a child pornography network – which includes the distribution of images of babies being raped and tortured – would start moving to an end this week.
The 37-year-old man, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, was expected to appear in the Knysna Regional Court on August 11.
In May, the matter was placed on the court roll for a plea and sentencing agreement to be finalised, but during his last court appearance the court heard that the State had had no offer from him and his lawyer despite negotiations having started in December last year.
State prosecutor JJ Marx therefore asked for the matter to go to trial. The case was set down for plea and trial on August 11.
The accused, however, still has the opportunity to continue negotiations until then.
The suspect was the first South African to have been arrested as part of Cloud 9 – a cooperation effort between SA and Belgian police responsible for cracking down on a child pornography ring linked to a cyber-meeting space for paedophiles whose fetishes seem to be the sexual abuse of babies.
The Plett local was arrested on January 13, 2015 when international police raided his seaside home and allegedly found sections of files containing hundreds of images and videos of violent assaults as well as internet addresses of more than 300 other alleged paedophiles.
The spokesperson for anti-child abuse activists the Green Hearts, Yvette Wilschut, said this week they were hopeful that the case would start moving towards an end. The Green Hearts organisation was established as a result of this incident.
“The case has dragged on for more than a year and a half now, despite the investigation having been completed months ago,” Wilschut said.
She added that South Africa’s Constitution protected the dignity of all children and images such as those allegedly found on the accused’s computer, contravened children’s rights.
“Perpetrators who are part of these chat rooms on the dark net, viewing and sharing these horrific images, need to be brought to justice – and not with a slap on the wrist if we are going to start winning the battle against the sexual abuse of children and protecting these youngsters,” Wilschut added.
Western Cape spokesperson for Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) Joanne Barrett said she, too, hoped the case would come to an end soon. “But we want the harshest sentences possible for these heinous crimes.
Lenient sentences are not going to deter those involved in this horrific industry,” Barrett said.
Click here for previous articles:
- Plett 'child porn' case going to trial
- Delays in child porn accused case exasperate
- Child porn case postponed
- Plett child porn case update
- Update: Plett child porn case
- Child porn offender allowed to leave
- More delays in child-sex crime cases
- Update: Plett child porn case
- Bail bid of child porn accused today
- Porn accused fails to appear in court
- Plett paedophile cases pending
- Cyber crime unit praised
- Plett child porn case postponed
- Concerns after leniency for child porn producer
- Plett child porn case back in court
- Child porn investigation complete
- Alleged paedophile linked to international porn ring
ARTICLE AND PHOTO: YOLANDé STANDER, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD CORRESPONDENT
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