The court heard that the Heidelberg lawyer accused of buying a 13-year-old girl from her mother told the police he had two child pornography videos on his cellphone.
This fact was revealed when the original investigating officer in the matter, Captain Veronica Banks, took the stand as the trial against attorney Carel Schoeman (35) and his co-accused, the 39-year-old mother, continued in a high court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on November 26.
Banks testified that while executing a search-and-seize warrant, Schoeman admitted he had two videos of child porn with the 13-year-old on his phone.
This came after he asked her what she needed, and she explained the electronic devices that might have child pornography on them.
According to Banks, Schoeman said he did not deem it necessary to hand in the videos to the police earlier because he needed proof for himself.
In one video, Schoeman and the girl are reportedly seen having sexual intercourse.
Banks said the police seized Schoeman’s iPhone, which he used at that time, three other cellphones and a Glock firearm.
The captain said Schoeman wrote down the passwords of the various devices.
However, after asking her if she would arrest him. and she replied that she would, he crumpled up the paper and put it in his mouth.
He then wanted to contact his attorney. She arrived at Schoeman’s Heidelberg residence, and he then co-operated.
Bank statements
Banks presented the mother’s bank statements, where she testified that she found 107 payments that might have been received for child pornography from two adult websites. She also identified transactions between the mother and Schoeman.
She testified that payments of R25 000, R3 900, R5 000, R10 000 and R10 000 were made.
The references to these transactions included “Callie labola” and “bederf” (spoil).
The captain testified that the victim said the mother sold naked images of her.
Guesthouses
Furthermore, Banks testified about how the girl pointed out several guesthouses where she saw various clients.
During cross-examination, the mother and lawyers’ representatives, advocates Harold Davids and Deon Pool, challenged that the girl pointed out guesthouses where she was allegedly raped without a guardian present. Davids also said that the girl was a suspect herself and not a victim.
“The police should have brought it to her attention that she is a suspect who sold sex and that this is a crime,” said Davids.
Banks testified that the girl was a victim.
“Her mother sold her against her will for sex and received the money for it,” said Banks.
In the girl’s case, the mother is a suspect, and the grandmother testified under the sanction of a Section 204 subpoena (lets a witness possibly implicated in a crime testify against other accused in exchange for indemnity from prosecution).
A nurse who medical examined the girl, 13 at the time, earlier testified that there were signs of penetration, but she could not indicate whether it was forced.
The trial resumes on November 27.
Background
The mother is accused of selling the sexual services of her minor daughters (aged 13 and 11 at the time). Schoeman faces 26 charges, the mother 72, and they recently pleaded not guilty to all of them.
The charges include rape, sexual abuse of a minor, child trafficking and the pointing of a firearm.
The offences happened in Boksburg, Heidelberg, Brakpan, Springs (Ekurhuleni), Villiers (Free State) and Amanzimtoti and Ramsgate (KwaZulu-Natal) between mid-2022 and early 2023.
In his plea explanation, Schoeman said he was under the impression the girl was 19.
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