Prosecutor describes Vergotine 'the worst of the worst' as sentencing looms
Leano Vergotine, the Ceres rapist, who was found guilty on several counts of rape and child pornography charges will be sentenced on Thursday.
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"He is the creator, the distributor and the rapist. The triad. The worst of the worst."
State Prosecutor Renée Uys opened the sentencing proceedings on Tuesday by declaring Leano Vergotine the worst of the worst.
Her statement came after Vergotine was found guilty on 15 of 17 charges on Monday in the Western Cape High Court, currently sitting at the Wynberg Regional Court.
Vergotine was convicted of rape, possession of child pornography, using a child for child pornography, sexual grooming, creation of child pornography in contravention of the Films and Publications Act, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and assault.
He was found not guilty on charges of kidnapping and attempted rape. Uys called for the heaviest possible sentence of life imprisonment on the rape charges, the maximum on pornography charges, and 15 years for the use of a child in pornographic material, telling the court that Vergotine represented the most dangerous kind of offender.
"Child pornography is a permanent record. These children will grow up to be adults and will still have that fear hanging over them, hoping that someone in Ceres never sees it. At the moment they are protected, even with high media presence, because their names are withheld but there are videos," Uys told the court.
"Mr Vergotine is the example of lock him up and throw away the keys."
That sentiment was echoed by Detective Captain Shaun van der Heever, Section Commander of the Investigative Psychology Section of the Western Cape and a forensic profiler and behaviour advisor, who painted a chilling picture of Vergotine as a calculated and deliberate predator.
Van der Heever in a statement said that after reviewing the evidence and taking Vergotine's behaviour into account, it was evident that he had systematically groomed his victims for sexual gratification, manipulating them to gain their trust and making them believe it was all a game.
Vergotine had also made video recordings of his sexual acts with the victims to relive his fantasies, Van der Heever told the court.
He described Vergotine as a sexual predator who had honed his ability to exploit minor victims, normalising pornography as if it were an everyday occurrence and befriending victims to gain their trust before subjecting them to horrific abuse.
Uys also placed before the court Vergotine's six-page list of previous convictions dating back to 1998, including housebreaking, indecent assault, theft, escaping from custody, robbery and possession of an illegal firearm.
Most damningly, in 2010 Vergotine was convicted of the rape of a minor and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment of which he served only 12.
Uys pointed out that Vergotine had carried out the exact same modus operandi, taking a boy victim to a secluded place and raping him.
"He didn't even wait long to carry out the same acts. A person like Vergotine cannot be rehabilitated," Uys said.
Defence attorney Nawaal Abduragmaan, however, urged the court not to impose a sentence in the spirit of anger, asking instead for one blended with a measure of mercy even as she acknowledged the gravity of her client's crimes.
In mitigation, she told the court that Vergotine had been the sole financial provider for his family, who were now suffering as a result of his actions.
The State had alleged that Vergotine, from Ceres, targeted several minors in separate incidents.
Prosecutors alleged he raped a 16-year-old girl in September 2022, anally penetrated and raped a 15-year-old boy while filming the attack, and groomed and raped a nine-year-old child on multiple occasions.
He is also alleged to have performed oral sex on his boy victims. In delivering her guilty verdict on Monday, Acting Judge Amanda Van Leeve was scathing about Vergotine's testimony, stating it was built on lies and contradictions.
She noted that Vergotine had claimed he smacked a minor for stealing his cellphone, money and alcohol yet was always in possession of his cellphone to record the incriminating videos.
Van Leeve also highlighted how Vergotine had lured child complainant two to his house under the pretence that her friend was there, a friend he knew he had previously assaulted.
In a defiant display as he was led to the cells following Monday's judgement, Vergotine turned to face the media, raised his middle finger and clearly uttered the words "F**k you."
Acting Judge Van Leeve is expected to hand down sentencing on Thursday.