A Western Cape father has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after using his own children to create and sell child pornography, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The harrowing case was heard in the Paarl Regional Court, where the father, whose name has been withheld to protect the identities of his children, stood accused of heinous crimes that shocked the community and raised concerns regarding the protection of vulnerable minors.
The man was convicted on numerous charges related to child exploitation, including two counts of trafficking in persons for online exploitation, four counts of rape of two minor children, and an alarming 629 counts of possession of child pornography.
The court initially imposed a sentence of 195 years for these crimes; however, most of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, leading to the final 35-year term before parole eligibility.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, the father became ensnared in a disturbing online community while unemployed and married to the mother of his children.
He was reportedly using a social media app catering to individuals interested in child pornography, selling images and videos for between $5 and $10.
The case came to light following a tip-off from an undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The agent, part of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, alerted the South African Police Service (SAPS) about the disturbing activities on 22 December 2022, which led to further investigations and ultimately the father’s arrest on 30 May 2023.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, expressed her satisfaction with the sentence, emphasising the need for constant vigilance in protecting children from sexual exploitation.
She stated, ‘These types of crimes indicate that we need to make every day a child protection day to ensure that the most vulnerable within our society areprotected.,’
Bell reaffirmed the importance of combating sexual violence and digital trafficking, calling for these issues to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
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Picture: Christian Wiedige / Unsplash
