A 59-year-old man is due to appear in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on August 18 in connection with the possession of more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse.

Ridge Times reports that he appeared in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court for a bail application yesterday, but it was postponed to August 18.

The man was arrested when the police conducted an operation in Standerton last Wednesday.

An integrated team executed a search-and-seizure warrant, which led to the arrest of the accused. During the operation, the team also seized 15 licensed firearms and several digital devices.

While processing the scene, forensic experts uncovered more than 56 000 videos and images depicting child sexual abuse material. The forensic investigation is ongoing.

The operation was led by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations Unit in Mpumalanga, with support from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Embassy, the Local Criminal Record Centre and designated firearm officers in Standerton.

The suspect first appeared in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court last Thursday.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk confirmed that the arrest was part of Operation Bad Vibes and brought the arrests under the national campaign to 16.

Initiated in 2023, Operation Bad Vibes is a joint initiative between the SAPS and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, United States Embassy, aimed at tracing and arresting people in South Africa who are linked to accessing, possessing, manufacturing and distributing child sexual abuse material on a global scale.

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