Roodepoort crèche owner, 62, in court for explicit child porn

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Johannesburg - A 62-year-old married man who is also the owner of a crèche in Roodepoort was expected to appear in court on Monday after he was allegedly found in possession of explicit child pornography. The pensioner is part of a group of five people who were arrested in the past few days in an operation called "Moonlight", where several personal computers, hard drives, flash drives, tablets and cellphones which contain explicit child pornography were seized. The ages of the children in the materials are believed to range between 11 and 16. The operation was conducted by members of the National and Gauteng SECI in collaboration with the United States of America’s Department of Homeland Security officers, National Crime Intelligence Cyber Crime Unit and Gauteng Forensic Social Work Services. Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said that although the man owns the crèche, it was managed by his wife.

Another man, who is 34 years old, was also expected to paper at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court to face the same charge of being in possession of child pornography.

Muridili said five years ago the man was sentenced to five years for the rape and sexual assault of five boys aged between 14 and 16.

However, Muridili said the man received a five-year suspended sentence that was to end on March 15, 2020.

"Although he has not been arrested for a similar charge he was convicted and sentenced for five years ago, child pornography is along similar lines and there might be a process to reinstate those charges," Muridili said.

Other people who were arrested include a 30-year-old Rietfontein, Pretoria man who lives with his parents.

He appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court where he was granted R5 000 bail. His case was postponed to March 12.

Another man aged 42, was also arrested in Claremont, Pretoria.

Muridili said the man was married with three children. He appeared in court last week and his case was postponed to February 28.

On Thursday, a 42-year-old man was arrested in Daspoort, Pretoria. The man, who also lives with his parents, had already appeared in court and he will appear again on 8 April 2020.

Muridili said a search warrant was executed in Garsfontein, Pretoria for a man who had been on the police's radar for some time.

While the man was not arrested as there was no material found in his premises, his electronic equipment was seized for further investigation.

The man also has a pending case from 2012 for bestiality and also being in possession of child pornography.

Muridili said the man was accused of having been an accomplice in a bestiality case where he allegedly recorded a woman having sex with a dog.

Judgment on these cases was expected on April 20.

The Star