Child pornography ring bust: Krugersdorp man among three arrested
A 43-year-old man from Krugersdorp is one of three men in total to have been arrested for child pornography.
The police’s Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations Unit (SECI) in collaboration with the US Department of Homeland Security arrested three online sexual predators in Gauteng – one of them is from Krugersdorp.
The three men were arrested in a simultaneous takedown operation this past week relating to many perpetrators who were identified as South African users involved in the possession, distribution, manufacturing, accessing and downloading of child pornography.
According to a statement issued by local police, the members of SECI conducted preliminary investigations on the users and various provinces were identified in which the suspects reside. After months of investigation and planning by SECI, the perpetrators were identified in Gauteng and a joint operation was planned.
Gauteng police arrested a 63-year-old male British citizen who was found to be in the country illegally. The suspect also faces offences related to bestiality where police have seized material of him allegedly having sexual intercourse with a dog.
Other offences are related to child pornography such as possession, distribution, accessing, downloading, facilitating, viewing, facilitating the distribution and making available child pornography, exposure of a child to adult and child pornography and grooming of a child.
The second suspect who is a 43-year-old South African male was arrested in Benoni. The suspect also faces offences relating to child pornography including possession, distribution, accessing, downloading, facilitating, viewing and facilitating the distribution and making of child pornography.
The third suspect, a 43-year-old South African male suspect was arrested in Krugersdorp. He too faces charges relating to child pornography, such as possession, accessing, downloading and viewing.
The police also confirmed that three children who were used during the commission of the above offences were identified and a dog was saved. The operations will continue throughout the country to unravel a network of child sexual predators.
The three men have already appeared in various magistrates courts in Gauteng and their cases have been postponed for further investigation and bail applications.
