A 48-year-old man from Victoria West has been sentenced to an effective 263 years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offences against young children, following a relentless investigation by detectives from De Aar.
The Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, and the Pixley ka Seme District Commissioner, Major General Nomana Mthukushe, have welcomed the substantial sentence, which they say ensures justice for the young victims.
The case first came to light in 2016 when a 10-year-old girl reported being sexually assaulted to her mother, who immediately alerted the De Aar Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. The investigation was taken up by Detectives Captain Wietz Coetzee and Captain Salomie Coetzee.
During their investigation, two additional victims—an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl—came forward with reports of similar offences. The accused was subsequently arrested on 9 March 2016 but was later released on bail.
A search of the man’s residence yielded evidence of child pornography, leading to additional charges being added to the docket.
The trial was scheduled to begin in July 2020, but the accused absconded, fleeing the Pixley ka Seme District. He was circulated as a wanted suspect nationwide until July 2023, when a tip led to his re-arrest in the Western Cape on 21 July 2023, after three years on the run.
After further delays and legal challenges, the accused was finally convicted and sentenced in the De Aar Regional Court on 31 October 2025.
He was found guilty on a total of 79 charges, including:
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Rape (for which he received life imprisonment)
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Attempted rape
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Sexual assault
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Sexual grooming
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Causing a child to witness sexual acts
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Causing a child to witness self-masturbation
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Displaying pornography to a child
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Exposure of genital organs to a child
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Possession of child pornography
The combined sentences handed down amount to 263 years’ imprisonment. The court ordered that the sentences will run concurrently. Additionally, the man’s name has been entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
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