Mitchells Plain dad accused of child pornography changes plea to not guilty
In a significant development, a Mitchells Plain father accused of child pornography has changed his plea to not guilty, as the Film and Publication Board (FPB) raises alarms about the growing crisis of online exploitation.
Image: FILE
A Mitchells Plain father accused of child grooming and the distribution of child pornography, who was found in possession of a collection of 115 000 images and 20 000 videos, has changed his tune by moving to a not guilty plea.
Earlier this month, Manuel indicated via his legal team that negotiations were under way into a Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act, which empowers prosecution to enter into a plea and sentence agreement.
But this soon changed this week, when Manuel made another appearance at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court, indicating he would be entering into a not guilty plea.
The court heard the trial, which includes witnesses and state evidence, is set to take place in February 2026.
The news comes as the Film and Publication Board (FPB) hosted a media briefing on the development and expansion of digital technologies. It said the crime of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) has grown exponentially and has become the most insidious form of global, modern, and borderless cybercrime
The FPB explained that women have increasingly become victims of these cybercrimes with the advent of the non-consensual sharing of intimate images (NCSII), stalking, and online abuse and violence.
The FPB, in partnership with the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, hosted a media briefing to unite the people against the scourge of OGBV and child exploitation in South Africa.
"Harmful content is described as content that causes emotional, psychological, or normal distress to a person, whether it be through any online or offline medium, including through the internet," it said.
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 which 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 child pornography collection.
Preliminary forensic investigation indicated he amassed a collection of 115,000 images and 20,000 videos of child pornography between 12 April 2021, and 19 January 2024.There were over 300,000 chat groups on the social media group 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 showed that Manuel 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 minor victims.
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