A Free State IT professional who lured young boys through computer games has been jailed for rape, human trafficking and creating child pornography which he distributed on the dark web.
A fingerprint on a photograph was among the forensic evidence that nailed Mario Guisti.
The 36-year-old is a computer programmer. He was first flagged by Interpol for uploading child sexual assault material on the internet, said police spokesperson Capt Loraine Earle.
The South African investigation team, led by Capt Bez Bezuidenhout from the serial and electronics crime investigation unit, arrested him in Welkom in August last year. His electronic equipment was seized for analysis.
Bezuidenhout, with Capt Fanie van der Merwe from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit and W/O Pieter de Wahl from the provincial local criminal records centre, examined the material.
“At first, they only received photos from Interpol and through the eyes of a seasoned detective, a fingerprint was visible on one of the photos. Through the analysis of the fingerprint they could identify the suspect.”
Earle said the detectives discovered Guisti lured boys, whom he preferred to be between the ages of eight and 10, with computer games.
“The parents of the victims trusted him and allowed the children to stay over at his house, thinking they were playing games. He even got one of the victims to come all the way from Durban to him and stay with him for months.”
Guisti was found guilty in the Free State High Court on 1,010 charges — the rape of two boys, one of human trafficking and 1,007 charges of possession, creation and distribution of child pornography.
He was sentenced this week to a total of 8,400 years’ imprisonment.
His name will be recorded in the National Register of Sexual Offenders and he was found unsuitable to work with children.
TimesLIVE
Child porn predator sentenced to 8,400 years’ imprisonment
Image: Mario Guisti via LinkedIn
A Free State IT professional who lured young boys through computer games has been jailed for rape, human trafficking and creating child pornography which he distributed on the dark web.
A fingerprint on a photograph was among the forensic evidence that nailed Mario Guisti.
The 36-year-old is a computer programmer. He was first flagged by Interpol for uploading child sexual assault material on the internet, said police spokesperson Capt Loraine Earle.
The South African investigation team, led by Capt Bez Bezuidenhout from the serial and electronics crime investigation unit, arrested him in Welkom in August last year. His electronic equipment was seized for analysis.
Bezuidenhout, with Capt Fanie van der Merwe from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit and W/O Pieter de Wahl from the provincial local criminal records centre, examined the material.
“At first, they only received photos from Interpol and through the eyes of a seasoned detective, a fingerprint was visible on one of the photos. Through the analysis of the fingerprint they could identify the suspect.”
Earle said the detectives discovered Guisti lured boys, whom he preferred to be between the ages of eight and 10, with computer games.
“The parents of the victims trusted him and allowed the children to stay over at his house, thinking they were playing games. He even got one of the victims to come all the way from Durban to him and stay with him for months.”
Guisti was found guilty in the Free State High Court on 1,010 charges — the rape of two boys, one of human trafficking and 1,007 charges of possession, creation and distribution of child pornography.
He was sentenced this week to a total of 8,400 years’ imprisonment.
His name will be recorded in the National Register of Sexual Offenders and he was found unsuitable to work with children.
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
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Teen sex ring pimp Gerhard Ackerman handed 12 life sentences
Life behind bars for pensioner who groomed, raped minor for years
Suspended ANC councillor in North West charged with statutory rape to seek bail
Kicked out for reporting rape: the high price of justice
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