Cape Town - Police are investigating the gruesome murder of an elderly convicted paedophile who was bludgeoned and left for dead in his Kenilworth flat.
The man is said to be 74-year-old Donald “Don” Bridge, who was dubbed Captain Porn after it was revealed that during his time as a port captain, in the early 90s, in the fishing town of Port Nolloth, he preyed on boys between the ages of 12 and 18, sexually assaulting them and at times filming them.
The attack is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police and paramedics were called to Bridge’s flat 12 hours later and he was rushed to Groote Schuur Hospital, where he died on Friday.
In 2002, Bridge was convicted in the Cape Town Regional Court of engaging in indecent sexual acts with young boys. He pleaded guilty to 15 charges and was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Before that, the British-born man had two prior convictions - the first where he paid a R1000 fine for possession of pornography in 1985 and the second came four years later when he was fined R3000 and handed a three-year suspended sentence for committing indecent acts against boys.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said according to their reports, a caretaker at the building block found the elderly man inside his room covered in blood.
“The injured person sustained injuries to his arms, legs and had bruises on his face,” he said.
“He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died due to injuries sustained.
“A murder case was registered for investigation and circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation, with no arrests so far.
“Police detectives are working around the clock in an effort to find the perpetrators,” Van Wyk said.
At the time of his death, Bridge had been living in the area for a number of years and neighbours suspected he had not given up his old ways.
During his 1999 arrest after two parents laid criminal charges, police searched his home and found more than 600 videos Bridge made with his victims.
According to investigators who testified at his trial, Bridge, who lived close to a school, would lure young boys to his home where he would coax them into masturbating with him and performing oral and anal sex while he filmed.
Speaking to Weekend Argus on condition of anonymity, neighbours said Bridge was often seen with young boys who he claimed he was helping with computer work or teaching them how to drive.
“He was very cunning because he always had an explanation for everything; those boys were too young to be learning how to drive,” said one neighbour.
“And on Wednesday night he was seen coming in with some people, so it is likely that this attack happened in the early hours of Thursday morning but he was only found in the afternoon.
“He had been beaten to within an inch of his life; paramedics even had to restart his heart at one point.”
The neighbour said nobody could be sure of what happened as no one heard anything. Police have requested that anyone with more information about the incident contact Crime Stop at 0860010111.
@WeekendArgus