Suspect arrested by police in Midrand, Gauteng. Picture: X / @SAPoliceService
The suspect found with more than 10 million images and videos of child pornography is under investigation for possible money laundering.
The 35-year-old man made his first appearance in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday following his arrest last week for possessing and distributing child pornography.
He was apprehended by law enforcement at his residence in Midrand, Gauteng, on Friday, 17 January, after a search-and-seizure warrant was executed.
Electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material as well as drugs and cash were confiscated, according to the South African Police Service (Saps).
The arrest followed information shared by international law enforcement after they identified a target located in South Africa.
During Monday’s proceedings, the state informed the court that the police are also investigating R560 000 found at the suspect’s property, which may be linked to money laundering.
The state indicated that evidence was still being collected.
Simultaneously, the accused’s legal representative urged the court to release his client on bail.
The defence also requested that the case be postponed specifically for a bail application rather than further investigations.
However, Magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe postponed the case to 28 January.
“Like I said, I’ll inform the presiding officer today about the possibility of the 28th being a bail application date because obviously the investigating officer will have to inform the court about the outcome of the investigations.
“I cannot then say that [the postponement] is for bail application because what if there are still more investigations that need to be conducted,” she said.
The accused will remain in custody.
At least 21 suspects have been arrested and charged with offences related to child pornography in South Africa in the last two years, according to police spokesperson Amanda Van Wyk.
This included the arrests of a 41-year-old former school principal in Pretoria and 49-year-old man in Vanderbijlpark.
The pair were nabbed by Saps members in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Homeland Security in December last year.
Multiple electronic devices suspected of containing child pornography were seized during both arrests.
READ MORE: Man who kidnapped, raped two girls and forced them to make child pornography found guilty
The 49-year-old man is accused of sexually grooming, sexually assaulting, and raping his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter.
Meanwhile, the former teacher and school principal stands accused of exposing children to adult pornography and sexually grooming boys between the ages of 10 and 12.
The 41-year-old man was granted R10 000 bail by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court earlier this month.
His case was postponed to March 27 for further investigation.
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