LIMPOPO. – A 44-year-old Kenyan citizen appeared on Thursday on two counts of rape and two counts of sexual grooming of schoolchildren in the Groblersdal magistrate's court.
Mashudu Malabi, NPA regional spokesperson, says the accused's identity is being withheld to protect the children's identity and prevent secondary victimisation. It is alleged that since 2022 the accused recruited pupils from a local school and took them to his rented room in the town. He allegedly filmed the children naked, gave them money and forced them to perform sexual acts with him with the promise that they would receive cellphones.
The case came to light after the alleged victims were asked to recruit other pupils from the same school. Information was disclosed at the school and the matter was then reported to police, whereafter the accused was taken into custody.
The state will oppose a bail application by the accused. The case has been postponed to 23 September for further investigation and to allow the accused to obtain legal representation. He remains in custody.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
