Pretoria – A 57-year-old man has been arrested in Mpumalanga after being found in possession of child pornographic material.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said the 57-year-old man was also charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm.
“He appeared before the Emalahleni Magistrate's Court (on Tuesday) facing the said charges,” said Mdhluli.
“According to a police report, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) unit received information from members of the society about a suspect who was storing pornographic material in his place of residence.”
Police officers followed up on the information and probed the matter until a sting operation was conducted on Monday.
“Upon arrival at his place, police searched the premises and found some hard drives, laptops as well as tablet gadgets.
’’About 9 000 child pornographic materials, including videos, were confiscated. Whilst proceeding with their search, the astute members discovered a revolver. which the suspect failed to produce a valid licence for,” said Mdhluli.
“The man was then apprehended and charged accordingly, hence his court appearance. During his appearance, the magistrate granted him bail of R1 000 and his case was postponed to 28 October 2021.”
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Manamela has applauded community members for their central role in the apprehension of the 57-year-old.
She added that the community members’ efforts have made “a notable mark in paving a way into the realisation of a safe environment for children and women in the society”.
IOL