Share

Cape Town youth pastor faces 10 years in jail for 47 sex charges - report

A Rondebosch youth leader facing 47 sex abuse charges could face a 10-year prison sentence if a plea bargain he agreed to with the State on Friday is accepted by the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, the Weekend Argus reported on Saturday.

Nicknamed "Porn Pastor", who had worked at Common Ground Church, reportedly three weeks ago did an about turn when he declared that he intended to stand trial in hopes of a lesser sentence than the 15-year imprisonment and five years suspended which he had agreed to after almost a year of negotiations with the State.

He faces 47 charges relating to seven male victims aged between 12 and 17. According to the publication, these include encouraging, enabling, instructing or persuading a child to perform a sexual act; compelled self-sexual assault; sexual grooming of children; and possession of child pornography.

News24 in September last year reported on the man's arrest on the church premises after he was reported to police by the parents of one of his alleged victims. The child was 14 years old.

The youth leader allegedly pretended to be a girl and exchanged naked photos with the boys via social media.

Police after his arrest said the suspect threatened the boys with "online exposure" when they decided to stop sending photos.

The children would seek advice from him on how to handle the online bullying, and the youth leader would advise them to continue doing what the individual wanted, SAPS said at the time.

The police's Serial and Electronic Crimes Investigation section of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit arrested the pastor following a joint investigation with the Hawks and the US's Homeland Security.

Authorities also seized several electronic items including cellphones, a laptop, a tablet and memory cards.

Six months later, while out on R1 000 bail, he was again arrested, this time for charges related to the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.

The man cannot be identified as his plea has not yet been heard and accepted in court.

- Compiled by Tammy Petersen

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
43% - 52 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
57% - 69 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.08
-0.9%
Rand - Pound
24.03
-0.6%
Rand - Euro
20.57
-0.5%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
-0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.9%
Platinum
890.97
-0.7%
Palladium
988.99
-1.3%
Gold
2,195.56
+0.0%
Silver
24.43
-0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,885
+0.3%
All Share
74,077
+0.2%
Resource 10
56,208
+1.0%
Industrial 25
103,636
+0.4%
Financial 15
16,471
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE