Mitchells Plain father intends to plead guilty to child grooming and pornography charges

A Mitchells Plain father accused of child grooming and possessing 115,000 images and 20,000 videos as part of an international child pornography network is expected to enter a guilty plea later this month.

Shannon Manuel, 33, made an appearance at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court on Tuesday, where, via his legal aid lawyer, he informed the court that he wished to wrap up his matter as soon as possible.

A scruffy and thin-looking Manuel made his way into the dock, supported by relatives who were present in the public gallery.

The matter was on the court roll for negotiations relating to a Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act application, which empowers the prosecution to enter into a plea and sentence agreement with an accused.

Manuel’s legal aid lawyer, Bertha Cottle, informed the court that while the plea and sentencing negotiations were on the table, she was to step down as a private attorney would come on record.

Magistrate Reaz Khan asked Manuel whether this was correct, to which he said: ‘Yes, sir.’

Manuel’s new attorney, who came on record, said they were ready to proceed with a Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Act application, which outlines a guilty plea in which a court can convict and sentence with a lesser offence but that they need to admit all essential elements of the offence.

“A Section 122 application of a guilty plea,” said the new attorney, who indicated that his client wished to finalise the matter and move into that direction.

The matter was set down for November 14 and 24 for the plea.

Manuel was earlier denied bail.

Manuel was arrested in January 2024 after police received a tip-off from the United States Homeland Security about him being part of an international syndicate that groomed, manufactured, and distributed child pornography.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, he was identified as a user of a social media platform in which he accessed CSAM images, whereby he accumulated his collection of child pornography.

Preliminary forensic investigation indicated he allegedly amassed a collection of 115,000 images and 20,000 videos of child pornography between April 12, 2021, and January 19, 2024.

There were over 300,000 chat groups on the social media platform, of which 35 large groups were actively manufacturing and distributing child pornography. Out of the operation, 27 targets in the country were identified, and four targets in the Western Cape were all arrested and have appeared before courts.

Earlier the state revealed that preliminary forensic analysis revealed that Manuel allegedly transformed from an ardent child pornography collector to a child pornography creator. 

He allegedly used the highly deceptive and skilled method of “phishing” to select and recruit his unsuspecting minors. Manuel is believed to have befriended the minors by sending them a picture of someone else, the same age as his victims and pretended it was him. 

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