More charges for alleged Plettenberg Bay child paedophile

The NPA is amending charges against a 39-year-old Plettenberg Bay man who is allegedly involved in a sex ring involving victims aged between 13 and 16 years old, which will be presented to the court next week.

NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed this to the Knysna-Plett Herald and says the amended charge sheet and preferred charges against the accused will be presented to court on Monday.

The bail hearing is currently underway in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape and will continue on Monday.

The charges include sexual assault (contravention of Section 5 of Act 32/2007); sexual exploitation of children (contravention of Section 17 of Act 32/2007); statutory rape (contravention of Section 15 of Act 32/2007, Consensual Sexual Penetration of Children Under the Age of 16 years); and the Prevention and Combatting of Trafficking in Persons Act 7 of 2013 (Trafficking in Persons).

Ntabazalila says the state will amend the charge sheet, and the court will be advised of the amended charge sheet and preferred charges against the accused. This will change the bail schedule from five to six.

In a schedule six bail application, the onus is on the accused person to provide evidence that satisfies the court that exceptional circumstances exist that, in the interest of justice, permit the accused to be released.

“The difference between schedules five and six is that there must be exceptional circumstances present in a Schedule 6 bail application,” says Ntabazalila.

“As the state is busy amending the charge sheet, it cannot confirm the number of victims at this stage but can confirm that the victims are between the ages of 13 and 16 years.” The state will oppose bail, and reasons for that will be provided during further evidence by the investigating officer. The prosecutor will also argue reasons for opposing bail to the magistrate.”