Cape Town – Police have called on anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence
in the modelling industry in Cape Town to come forward after they arrested a 50-year-old man on
charges of rape.
Nicholas Maré, director of Tariro Model Management in Loop Street, appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court yesterday where he stood accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who went for a photoshoot on June 24.
Cape Town detectives from the Family Violence, Child and Sexual Offences Unit and the Provincial Serial and Electronic Crimes Unit conducted a search and seizure at the modelling agency and arrested Maré for rape and sexual assault charges relating to the creation and possession of child pornography, and sexual exploitation of children.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the case was postponed to July 7 for a formal bail application.
He said the State would be opposing bail.
On Tariro Model Management’s website, Maré is listed as a principal trainer, international model coach, photographer and director.
Numerous attempts to obtain comment from Maré and the
agency were unsuccessful yesterday as calls, texts, and emails went unanswered.
According to post on the agency’s website, due to lockdown regulations, it would “proceed online and on
social media platforms as from midnight on Thursday, 26 March 2020 until midnight, 16 April 2020 to entertain the modelling and fashion industry with ‘selfieshoots’ and ‘selfieshows’”.
The agency has branches in Table View, Atlantis, Eerste River and Bredasdorp.
Police have urged anyone who might have fallen victim to sexual violence through the modelling agency to contact the investigating officer, Graham Davids, at
0825221086.
Alternatively, they
can anonymously contact Crime
Stop at 0860010111 or
SMS Crime Line at 32211.