A man and his wife were denied bail in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court after they were arrested for sexual assault and child pornography in Valhalla.
According to Captain Agnus Huma of the Wierdabrug police, the couple, aged between 28 and 57, were reportedly forcing children aged between 8 and 12 years to pose for photos wearing underwear and also forced them to sleep between them while they were naked. Huma further said the couple also exposed the children to nudity by walking naked around the house. According to Huma, the children were the couple’s friends’ children, and they often slept over at the house. Apparently the sexual assault and pornography has been ongoing for the past seven months.
The couple are expected to appear in court in January 2014.
Lynne Cawood from Childline Gauteng said pornography had an emotional and psychological impact on children and may result in children having relationships problems, low self-esteem, depression, suicidal thoughts, sleeping disorders and changed identity, among other challenges. She said parents should educate children about sex and communicate openly about such matters. She further said that if parents discovered that a child had been exposed to pornography, they should seek professional help as soon as possible.
