KZN police have launched an investigation into possible contraventions of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957 and charges of intimidation after a 13-year-old girl from Phoenix, KZN, was allegedly threatened by a stalker who had been following her on Instagram.

The Witness reports that the incident unfolded last week, when private security company Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) responded to an emergency call at a residence in Phoenix, Durban.

Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram says an 18-year-old teenager, who was reported to have been threatening the girl online, was found outside her home at about 15:00. He says the suspect fled the area in a white Toyota Corolla.

“The family, who had locked themselves indoors, told our officers that the 13-year-old Grade Eight girl had been chatting to the man, who befriended her on Instagram in April 2024.

“The man repeatedly sent nude pictures and homemade pornographic videos to the girl via WhatsApp and had requested nudes of [her]. The girl became concerned for her safety when the suspect stalked her at school excursions and knew her whereabouts.

“He then threatened her with exposing her nudes and started demanding money from her. This eventually escalated to threats of kidnapping and murder. The girl had shared personal details with the perpetrator, who then used the information to track down her residential address and work locations of her parents,” says Balram.

Balram says Rusa is in possession of several pornographic videos and images made by the suspect in his bedroom and sent to the girl. The suspect has been identified as a resident of Kenville, KZN, and is an employee of a catering company.

The girl’s father declined to comment. Provincial police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo says Phoenix police have registered a case of contravention of the Sexual Offences Act and intimidation.

Mountain Rise SAPS Community Policing Forum chairperson Sham Govender says cyberbullying remains a major concern.

Referring to a recent case involving a social media platform, he called for more proactive measures.

“It has come to the attention of the Mountain Rise CPF that an inappropriate Instagram platform, involving pupils from three high schools in the northern areas, has reappeared. This serves as a warning to all parents to monitor their children’s social media usage.

“As parents, we must be proactive in addressing this cyber issue, as children who are afraid to inform their parents could face devastating consequences,” says Govender.

Clinical psychologist Navin Nursoo says social media is highly unregulated and easily accessible. “It is scary; there is little control across the board regarding social media use. Parents have little to no access to what their children are engaging with online across all social media platforms.

“Children who are in primary school are now on social media; they are not mature enough to engage with older people, as this often leads to a distorted idea of relationships and dysfunctional social behaviour in the future.”

He adds that while it may not be possible to monitor everything children encounter online, parents should instil strong values to help safeguard them.

“Parents need to educate their children about the dangers of social media and teach them values about its moral use, which will assist parents in monitoring what their children engage with,” Nursoo says.

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