A former teacher at a private school for special students has been accused of sexually grooming pupils and exposing them to pornography.
The accused was a teacher at Raslouw Academy, in Pretoria, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Gauteng.
He appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was charged with four counts of sexually grooming two 13- and 15-year-old boys. He was also charged with three counts of exposing children to pornography.
The exposure of the children to pornography allegedly happened in August 2024, when the former teacher approached three pupils from the school, sent them photographs of himself in the nude. He allegedly asked them to reciprocate, according to NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
Mahanjana claimed that after receiving a picture from one of the victims, the man made a video call to the victim and engaged in sexual behaviour.
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“One of the victims reported the matter to the school teacher, who requested them to bring their phones to school for observation,” Mahanjana said.
“The parents of the victims were informed about the incident, and a case was opened against the accused in August 2024.”
She said that on December 13, the former educator was taken into custody at his residence.
He requested to be released on bail, stating that he was a first-time offender and that his elderly parents relied on him.
Additionally, the ex-teacher informed the court that he needs to see a doctor because of a chronic illness.
Out on R10 000 bail
State prosecutor Chris Maruma, however, argued against the bail request, claiming that the accused is a repeat perpetrator of crimes against male victims.
Maruma told the court that a case of a similar nature was brought against the ex-teacher while he was employed at another school.
According to Maruma, more victims have come forward, so if the former teacher is freed on bail, he will contact the victims and obstruct the investigation.
The magistrate said that because the information on the devices is unknown, it is currently not known how strong the state’s case is.
Additionally, he stated that the ex-teacher may not receive treatment for a chronic illness while incarcerated.
As a result, he was given R10 000 bail and ordered to return to court on March 27.
