A FIFTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD man pleaded guilty to five counts of creation of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography and one count of rape in the Durban Regional court this week.
In his plea, the accused told the court that the offences took place when he took pictures of the child and stored them on his cellphone. The complainant in the matter was his minor granddaughter.
Regional court prosecutor Jerome Gnanapragas told the court, matters of child pornography were becoming common place as perpetrators were under the impression it was a victimless offence. He urged the presiding officer to impose a harsh sentence to deter would be offenders.
The accused was sentenced to five years imprisonment for the child pornography related charges and 15 years imprisonment for rape. The presiding officer ruled that the sentences run concurrently.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in KZN, Adv. Moipone Noko welcomed the sentence, saying, “Matters of this nature are very distressing, where adults in a position of trust become the perpetrators. I believe that an example has been set. This is a stern warning to adults that they have no right to abuse the children under their care, no matter the relationship they share.”
