The NPA has sent a strong message that cyber abuse and the non-consensual manipulation of intimate images will not be tolerated, following the sentencing of a KZN man to five years of direct imprisonment.

Scebi Thabiso Nene was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court after pleading guilty to cyber forgery, cyber uttering, and disclosing intimate image data.

His crimes included distributing manipulated pornographic images bearing the faces of President Cyril Ramaphosa, former Police Minister Bheki Cele, and former National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole.

According to NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, “This created a false impression that the images were the authentic images of the complainants. Nene then disseminated these manipulated images.”

The court heard that between September 2022 and May 2023, Nene sourced and altered images to create the false and damaging material. His actions have been classified by the NPA as a form of digital abuse – targeting prominent figures with doctored explicit content.

The NPA’s decision to pursue custodial sentencing marks a growing trend in taking a firm stance against online harassment and image-based offences, particularly those intended to humiliate or defame.

In mitigation, Nene claimed he had become mentally distressed during his time working at Coca-Cola between 2018 and 2019. He told the court he believed he was being followed and made several attempts to seek help from various police stations, the Hawks, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). He said his concerns were dismissed, which he claimed contributed to his mental state and actions.

Despite expressing remorse and telling the court he regretted his actions, the court handed down a sentence of five years for cyber forgery and three years each for cyber uttering and disclosing intimate image data. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective five-year term behind bars.

The NPA welcomed the judgment, reinforcing its intent to treat cyber harassment and the abuse of intimate image data with the seriousness it deserves.

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