A 29-year-old man has been sentenced in the Bloemfontein Regional Court after he was caught secretly photographing a minor in a school restroom.

Bloemfontein Courant reports that the incident occurred on February 29, 2024, during a school sports day in Bloemfontein.

According to police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle, two 12-year-old boys entered a restroom after an adult male unlocked the door for them. While they were relieving themselves, the man discreetly took a photo of one of them.

“The second boy saw the act and immediately alerted his friend,” says Earle. “The suspect claimed it was a joke, deleted the image in front of them, and left the area.”

The matter was reported to one of the boy’s mothers, who was present at the event. The man was later identified by the children as a contract chef working in the school’s hostel kitchen. A case of crimen injuria was opened at Park Road Police Station.

Due to the nature of the offence, the case was transferred to Captain Bez Bezuidenhout of the Free State Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations Unit.

“During the investigation, Section 24(b) of the Films and Publications Act [65 of 1996] was added,” says Earle. “This allowed for the charge of creating child sexual abuse material, and ensured the suspect would be listed on the National Register for Sex Offenders and banned from working with children.”

The accused pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on Friday, June 20, suspended for five years.

The matter was prosecuted by Advocate Ronel Botha and presided over by Magistrate Zweni.

Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane welcomed the outcome and praised the swift actions of the victims and the professional investigation that followed.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.