Cape Town - The case of a Bonteheuwel mother arrested by the FBI and Homeland Security after allegedly selling naked pictures of her 4-year-old daughter on the dark web could not move forward on Wednesday due to power outages.
The 32-year-old made a brief appearance in the Parow Regional Court on Wednesday morning, but heard her case could not be heard due to load shedding.
The matter was postponed to May 18.
The case was previously postponed to allow the mother to consult with her legal team.
Ward councillor Angus McKenzie, who has been assisting the victims and their family, said they were disappointed at yet another delay in the case.
The woman had been arrested in March 2021.
“Yet again the case against the Bonteheuwel mother arrested by the FBI and Homeland Security was again today postponed,” said McKenzie.
“The postponement was due to load shedding that took place at Parow Regional Court.
“Not only is the darkness the poor victim has had to endure painfully problematic, but that the mother has yet to be charged and now due to darkness caused by load shedding, that pain will continue for all those seeking justice.
“The case has been postponed to May 18 and hopefully load shedding won't be a further excuse for delayed justice.”
She is facing charges of manufacturing child pornography, possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and financial gain from child pornography and rape.
The woman’s five children have been placed in the care of family members.
The investigation was led by an agent from Homeland Security, who pretended to be a buyer, and traced her to Bonteheuwel after she allegedly received payments via PayPal.
The postponement comes a month after the The Film and Publications Amendment Act which was signed into law in 2019, and was proclaimed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In March, the the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and the Film and Publication Board welcomed the proclamation of the act, which put into effect the Films and Publications Amendment Act (2019) (FPA Act).
The FPA Act was signed into law in 2019.
Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Philly Mapulane said the timing was right as digital platforms were rife with illegal content, much of which was exposing young children.
“The Amendment Act comes into operation at a time when governments all over the world are grappling with the escalation in potentially harmful content on digital platforms, as we witness the entrenchment of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in society. Changes to the FPA Act seek to modernise laws that protect the South African public from exposure to prohibited content distributed online, as well as exposure of children to harmful digital content that could have adverse psychological and behavioural impacts.
“Laws are enacted to give effect to the rights enshrined in the Constitution. The FPA Act seeks to balance the right to freedom of expression with the responsibility to protect our citizens from harm and to maintain social cohesion,” he said in a statement.
Weekend Argus