Durban actor Anthony Stonier has been sentenced to three years’ house arrest and fined R20 00 after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Stonier, who appeared at the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday (May 28), was also given a five-year sentence, wholly suspended by Magistrate Mayne Mewalal, reports Berea Mail. The well-known panto actor pleaded guilty on May 12.

In handing down judgment, Mewalal took into consideration Stonier’s admission of guilt, a clinical report, a statement from correctional services and the state’s acceptance of the plea.

In his guilty plea Stonier had stated that he was sent the images to his phone by an online contact named Visagie and “viewed them fleetingly”, but that they did not appeal to him due to his sexual orientation.

He further stated that the content would then remain on his device and was unwittingly transferred onto his computer or storage device when he switched phones.

“I admit that my retaining and not destroying the content constituted an unlawful intentional possession of child pornography,” said Stonier in his plea.

Taking this into consideration, as well as Stonier’s state of mind during late 2022 and early 2023 when he was on anti-depressants and addicted to “hard drugs like cocaine and crystal meth”, the court saw fit to place Stonier under house arrest as he was not deemed a threat.

Stonier was arrested in April 2024 during a joint operation between the SAPS and the United States Department of Homeland Security, following a search of his Umbilo home.

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