‘Satanic porn ring’ swindler pleads guilty
The woman claimed to have escaped a satanic child porn ring and defrauded churches of up to R500 000.
Leone Steyn, 22, pleaded guilty in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, admitting to fleecing churches out of over R500 000 since 2010 when she was only 17.
Steyn admitted to using an elaborate tale about having escaped a satanic child porn ring to swindle the churches, saying she needed money for others who also had become their victims, Roodepoort Record reported.
She claimed only she knew the safe houses and used MobieG, an online counselling service for teens, as a vehicle to get money and other donations from churches, creating 55 fake social media profiles in the process.
In order to keep the service in the dark, Steyn reportedly claimed members of Roodepoort, Florida and Krugersdorp police stations were involved and therefore police could not be approached.
MobieG director, Stephanie Crouse, laid a complaint with police in 2014 after her suspicions grew. Steyn had been involved with the organisation for about three years.
Steyn was arrested in January, released and rearrested in April.
She will appear in court again on 26 May when aggravating and mitigating evidence will be heard.
– Caxton News Service
Read original story on roodepoortrecord.co.za
