Three children saved from porn ring, dog rescued

Three alleged online child sexual predators, two South Africans and a British man, have been arrested in Gauteng.

Among their alleged victims are three children.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the arrests were made by the serial and electronic crime investigations unit after several months of investigation in collaboration with the US department of homeland security.

“The trio was arrested in a simultaneous takedown operation in the past week relating to suspects who were identified as South African users involved in the possession, distribution, manufacturing, accessing and downloading of child pornography,” she said.

In Springs, Gauteng police arrested a 63-year-old male British citizen who was found to be in the country illegally. He is accused of exposing a child to adult and child pornography, grooming a child and possessing, distributing, downloading and facilitating the distribution of child porn. He also faces a charge of bestiality, as police seized material of him allegedly having sexual intercourse with a dog. 

The second suspect is a 43-year-old Benoni man arrested for viewing and distributing child porn.

A Krugersdorp man, also 43, is accused of possessing, accessing, downloading and viewing child porn.

“As a result of these operations, three South African children who were used during the commission of the above offences were identified and a dog was saved,” Mathe said.

“The operations will continue throughout the country to unravel a network of child sexual predators.”

The trio appeared in the Springs, Benoni and Krugersdorp magistrate's courts on Monday. Their cases were postponed for further investigation and bail applications.

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