A South African man has been found guilty of multiple serious offences, including r@pe, child p0rn0graphy, and kidnapping, in a shocking case involving two young girls.
The 35-year-old perpetrator,Letlhogonolo Mothlapeng, was convicted on 10 counts after a trial that exposed the horrific nature of his crimes.
Phindi Mjonondwane, spokesperson for the Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), provided details of the case, stating that the incident occurred in February 2023. Mothlapeng kidnapped the two minors at gunpoint while they were walking on the streets of Tarlton in Krugersdorp.
The two minor girls were walking in the streets of Tarlton when Mothlapeng approached them, stopped his vehicle, and pointed a firearm at them.
He ordered the girls to get into his vehicle, and they complied out of fear, Mjonondwane said. Mothlapeng then took the victims to his residence in Magaliesburg, where he forced them to undress and pose for explicit photographs and videos.
The accused created child p0rn0graphic pictures depicting the girls engaging in sexual acts with him. Furthermore, he r@ped them in each other’s presence while they were in his room, Mjonondwane explained.
In an attempt to silence the victims, Mothlapeng threatened to share the explicit content on social media if they reported him to the authorities. Despite these threats, the brave victims reported the incident to the police, leading to Mothlapeng’s arrest at his residence later that same day.
During the trial, advocate Rachel Kau, representing the prosecution, called one of the victims to testify. The minor, who was a victim of the offense, recounted the traumatic ordeal, describing how Mothlapeng forced her and her friend into his bed and subjected them to a horrifying experience.
“The court considered the video recorded by the accused during the commission of the crimes, which served as damning evidence,” Mjonondwane noted.
“Given the overwhelming nature of this evidence, the court concluded that the accused could not credibly deny his involvement in the offenses.”
Mothlapeng was indicted on multiple charges, including two counts of kidnapping and rape, as well as accusations of intimidating his victims with what appeared to be a firearm, and child p0rnography, including creation, possession, and using children to create expl!cit content. He will be sentenced today, September 2.
