Durban - A former Durban high school drama teacher is expected to enter into a plea and sentence agreement with the State over various child pornography-related charges.
The Durban Regional Court heard last week that the teacher, who cannot be named until he has pleaded to the charges, would appear again in court in August for plea negotiations with the State in terms of section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
Prosecutor Jerome Gnanapragas amended the charge sheet using evidence police seized from the teacher’s cellphone and computer at the time of his arrest last year.
The charges relate to two pupils, aged 15 and 17 at the time, during the period of January to August 2014.
These include possession of child pornography; creation of child pornography (including images from a video camera as well as a mass storage device); sexual exploitation; sexual grooming of a child and using children for, or benefiting from, child pornography.
At the time of some of the alleged offences, the 48-year-old man was a full-time drama teacher at a Durban school, although at the time he was arrested, he was a contractor. He was immediately dismissed.
Daily News