Police arrested three men in the Western Cape in connection with the distribution and possession of child pornography. The arrests were part of an international investigation into the manufacturing, use and distribution of child pornography.
The three men were arrested in Worcester, Kraaifontein and Mitchell’s Plain.
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The spokesperson for the national police, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said seven child sexual predators have been arrested since November of last year.
The three were apprehended following a joint operation by the SA Police Services (SAPS), the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) unit and the American Homeland Security Department.
A man was arrested in Worcester on 17 January and faces charges of accessing, distributing and possessing child pornography.
Police found 95 000 images and 6 000 videos of child pornography in his possession.
The second arrest was made in Kraaifontein the next day. According to the police, he is accused of possessing over 149 000 images of child pornography and more than 5 000 videos.
Mathe said the suspect was found with two unlicensed firearms, various calibres of ammunition, and nine snakes, three of which lacked the required permits.
‘He is facing charges of possession of illegal firearms and ammunition, possession, distribution and accessing of child pornography,’ Mathe said.
A man from Mitchell’s Plain was arrested on Friday after he was discovered to be communicating with underage girls on a chat group where explicit images were exchanged.
Mathe said, ‘All suspects appeared before various courts such as Worcester, Kraaifontein and Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court where their cases were postponed for further investigation.’
She noted four suspects were arrested in November last year: three in Gauteng and one in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mathe emphasised the importance of parents keeping a vigilant eye on their children’s devices and social media accounts.
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