Durban - Details have emerged of how a Durban high school drama teacher allegedly “groomed” some of his pupils by initially luring them with money for “muscle pictures”, and then more money for “genital shots”, and then “large amounts” for filmed “sexual performances” at his home.
It was alleged during his bail application on Monday that he had paid one of his victims - a 17-year-old pupil at the school where he worked as a teacher up until the end of last year - about R35 000 over six months for pictures and sexual favours.
“He selected his victims. He would put up a general challenge for boys to become linked to him on Whatsapp.
“He would then choose those he could push the boundaries with - those from broken homes, or who had no money,” investigating officer Warrant Officer Luke Tancrel said in his evidence opposing bail.
The 48-year-old teacher, who cannot be named until he pleads to the charges, is facing 11 charges under the Sexual Offences Act for using children to create child pornography.
He was arrested at his Glenwood home on August 19 following a raid in which his computers and a cellphone were seized by police.
He has been in custody since then, and police have now secured two signed statements from alleged victims and expect to get at least two more.
His attorney, Nerissa Farrington, conceded on Monday that he had “sexual deviancy”, but suggested he had been “a very, very good teacher”, employed at various schools over 23 years.
In a statement read out to Durban magistrate P Cartwright, the teacher admitted that “certain material” was found in his possession, “but I have an explanation for it, and such will be tendered at a later stage”.
He said that, while the complainants were defined as “children”, they were all over the age of 16, “the age of consent”.
But prosecutor Val Melis shot this down.
“The age of consent is irrelevant. There is no age of consent when it comes to child pornography. It is quite simply illegal.”
Tancrel said there were pictures of other boys on the teacher’s phone and computers “whom I suspect may be under the age of 18”.
Referring to a previous conviction of sexual assault relating to a 15-year-old boy at a previous school where he taught, Tancrel said it appeared there was similar “grooming” in that matter.
The magistrate will hear closing arguments on Thursday and then make a ruling.
The Mercury