According to a trusted source within the judicial system, the alleged sexual offender, 31, who stands accused of exposing himself to underage girls in Krugersdorp will only resume in about two months’ time.
The Record could not yet confirm the date of his next court appearance, but learned that the magistrate presiding over his trial, Delise Smith, has to deal with matters brought before the Johannesburg High Court.
The High Court has jurisdiction over all matters, but usually only hears civil matters involving more than R100 000 and serious criminal cases. It also hears appeals or reviews from magistrate’s courts and other lower courts.
According to the accused, at the times the offences allegedly took place he was at work, sending emails from his computer. He was arrested in April 2013 after allegedly offering a 17-year-old Hoërskool Bastion pupil R200 to perform oral sex on him. He pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges pertaining to the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 32 of 2007 but due to the case involving underaged children, his name has not been made public.
The trusted source said that the defense has not yet finished with their case and are still cross-examining witnesses. The Police’s Cyber Crime Unit will also verify whether emails were sent on the relevant dates and that their date and time stamps have not been tampered with, since the accused’s work is in the line of information technology (IT).
Soon thereafter Smith is expected to report the court’s findings before an appropriate sentence will be decided upon.
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Sexual offender goes to trial on February 2015