Businessman pays R2.8m for sex tape to go away - report

He paid for fear of losing his job and embarassing his parents

17 March 2019 - 16:42 By TimesLIVE
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Out of fear of losing his job and embarrassing his parents, investment adviser Brendan Smith paid R2.8m stop the leaking of his sex tape.
Out of fear of losing his job and embarrassing his parents, investment adviser Brendan Smith paid R2.8m stop the leaking of his sex tape.
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

Two brothel owners who extorted millions from a wealthy businessman in exchange for not leaking a sex tape of him have been sentenced to 20 years in jail, according to a report in Rapport newspaper on Sunday.

Rapport reported that Shantel Bridger, her son Robin Reyneke and Juan Warren received over R2.8m from investment adviser Brendan Smith. The trio faced 128 charges in the High Court in Cape Town.

They threatened to expose videos and pictures of Smit with sex workers on social media if he did not pay an amount of R50,000.

Smith, the son of former Sanlam boss Desmond Smith, was single at the time he visited the brothel.

Out of fear of losing his job and embarrassing his parents, Smith paid the money, Rapport said.

The trio extorted an amount of R2.8m out of Smith over a period of four years.

Smith finally opened a case in 2016.

They faced charges that included kidnapping and trafficking minors, running a brothel in Cape Town and extortion.  

Bridger and Warren were sentenced to 20 years in prison, part of which was suspended under certain conditions. Reyneke received the same sentence and a fine of R50,000 or two years' imprisonment.


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