Police have arrested three men who are alleged to be online child sexual predators in the Gauteng, including a 63-year-old British national.
The trio appeared before various magistrate’s courts including Springs, Benoni and Krugersdorp on Monday.
Bestiality charges added
The Briton also facing charges of bestiality was found to be in the country illegally.
Their cases were postponed for further investigations and bail applications.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said that the trio was arrested in a simultaneous takedown operation in last week.
“A number of suspects were identified as South African users.
Investigation and arrests
“They were involved in the possession, distribution, manufacturing, accessing and downloading of child pornography.
“Members of the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations at head office and in Gauteng conducted the preliminary investigations.
“[This uncovered] the users and various provinces in which the suspects reside were identified,” said Mathe.
According to Mathe, the suspects were nabbed by members of the South African Police Service and the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) unit.
The operation was in collaboration with the US department of homeland security.
Months of investigation
SECI is a unit within the detectives divisions under the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations unit.
The unit is responsible for investigating, tracing and apprehending serial rapists and dealing with electronic crimes relating to online child sexual exploitation.
The arrests follow several months of investigations by the SECI.
It is alleged that the trio committed a series of offences.
List of serious offences
These include possession, distribution, downloading and facilitating the distribution of pornography.
Additional charges are grooming and making available child pornography and exposure of a child to adult and child pornography.
Mathe broke down the charges against the British national, which included bestiality.
Mathe said: “The suspect faces charges related to bestiality after police have seized material of him allegedly having sexual intercourse with a dog.
“The second suspect, a 43-year-old South African male, was arrested in Benoni, Gauteng.
Children, animal, rescued
“The third suspect, a 43-year-old South African male, was arrested in Krugersdorp, Gauteng.
“As a result of these operations, three South African children who were used during the commission of the above offences were identified, and a dog was saved.
“The operations will continue throughout the country to unravel a network of child sexual predators,” said Mathe.
