On Thursday, the High Court in Johannesburg found 35-year-old Lethlogonolo Mothlapeng guilty on all 10 charges. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA
A Gauteng sex-pest, who held two young friends hostage for four hours while he raped them and forced them to create sexual content, has been found guilty.
On Thursday, the High Court in Johannesburg found 35-year-old Lethlogonolo Mothlapeng guilty on all 10 charges.
“He was indicted on multiple charges, including two counts of kidnapping and rape, as well as accusations of intimidating his victims with what appeared to be a firearm, and child pornography, including creation, possession and using children to create explicit content,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane.
She said Mothlapeng was further charged with forcing children to witness sexual offences on two separate occasions.
Despite the severity of the charges, Mothlapeng pleaded not guilty.
In February last year, Mothlapeng approached the two young girls and at gunpoint, forced them into his vehicle.
Out of fear, the girls complied and Mothlapeng drove to his house in Magaliesburg.
Mjonondwane said Mothlapeng told the girls to undress and he took photographs and videos of them with his cellphone.
He also forced the girls to perform sexual acts on him, which he filmed. He then raped the girls.
After, Mothlapeng let the girls go and threatened to share the explicit footage if they ever reported him.
The girls reported their horrific ordeal and Mothlapeng was arrested.
“When called to testify during the trial, one of the survivors, who was a minor at the time of the rapes, described how she and her friend were forced into Mothlapeng's bed where he also exposed them to pornographic material and raped them,” Mjonondwane said.
A video of the ordeal was used as evidence and the court found that given the overwhelming evidence against him, Mothlapeng could not credibly deny his involvement in the crime.
“All cases of sexual violence encroach on the right to dignity and privacy of the victims as enshrined in our Constitution hence the NPA aggressively prosecutes these cases,” Mjonondwane said.
The case has been adjourned until September 2 for sentencing.
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