The Johannesburg high court on Monday sentenced a 35-year-old man who raped two girls and created child pornography in 2023 to life imprisonment.
In addition to the rape convictions, Letlhogonolo Mothlapeng was sentenced for other heinous crimes, including kidnapping, child pornography and intimidation.
“Mothlapeng was found guilty of creating and possessing explicit content featuring children, using them to produce such content, and coercing them into witnessing sexual offences,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
On February 26 2023, Mothlapeng used a firearm to threaten and abduct two minor girls in Tarlton on the West rand, forcibly placing them in his vehicle.
“He then drove them to his residence in Magaliesburg, where he produced child pornography, raped them, and attempted to intimidate them into silence by threatening to share explicit content online:”
The girls reported the incident to the police and Mothlapeng was arrested at his home the same day.
Mnjonondwane said senior state advocate Rachel Kau presented crucial aggravating factors during the trial, emphasising the alarming prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa.
“The sentencing of Letlhogonolo Mothlapeng marks a significant milestone in the ongoing fight against GBV and child exploitation. This ruling sends a strong message that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will face the full weight of the law,” Mjonondwane said.
TimesLIVE
Ernest Mabuza
www.timeslive.co.za
