Durban - A sex offender convicted for possession and creation of child pornography has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars.
James Summers Prinsloo was arrested in November 2019 following intensive investigations by police.
Prinsloo was previously convicted of rape and jailed for 5 years.
According to KZN police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele a Hauwei cellphone which contained images of child pornography was found in a taxi in April 2019.
"The contents of the memory card contained images of child pornography as well as images of a man who was believed to have taken photographs of the children.
"The phone was password locked and the phone could not be accessed initially,'' said Mbele.
"The memory card was analysed and a possible suspect was identified. Investigations were conducted to trace the suspect."
Prinsloo was eventually arrested on the Esplanade in Durban in November.
"The suspect was arrested by the Provincial Serial and Electronic Crimes Investigation Unit and remained in prison as an awaiting trial prisoner until his conviction."
She said initial efforts to trace the victims, many of them school children dressed in school uniform, were unsuccessful police were able to trace many of them who who admitted to being sexually assaulted by the suspect.
Mbele said Prinsloo will face further charges in Muizenberg.
His previous convictions also include indecent assault. He received a fine of R2000 or 3 months imprisonment.
In December a Hillary man who downloaded approximately 19 000 images and 1 000 videos depicting child pornography was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on Tuesday.
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