Alleged sexual predator in ’Plain court
Various Mitchell’s Plain women and children empowerment groups protested outside Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate’s Court where a Tafelsig man accused of luring teenage girls into a chat group where nude photographs are exchanged, is fighting for bail.
Shannon Manuel, 32, charged with child pornography possession, distribution and downloading it, was due to start with a Schedule 5 bail application on Friday February 16 but the State bumped the offence up with more evidence coming to light.
SAPS spokeswoman Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said a preliminary report showed that more then 110 000 images and more than 20 000 videos of minor identifiable victims were found on some of his devices.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Western Cape Division spokesman Eric Ntabazalila told the Plainsman yesterday, Tuesday February 20, that now that the accused faces a Schedule 6 offence the onus was on him to prove that it is in the interest of justice that he be granted bail.
Mr Manuel will remain in custody pending the outcome of a bail application, which continues on Friday March 1.
Members of the Safe Platform Mitchell’s Plain, an umbrella body of organisations coordinating the prevention and response to domestic violence, held posters reading “No means no”; “Protect our children”; “Don’t hurt me” and “Violence against women and children needs to stop”.
Mosaic training, service and healing centre safe communities coordinator, Thembani Dyule, said that they would like to offer coordination and capacity building support to volunteers and civil servants to help victims of abuse collectively, whether it is at the police station, court or hospital.
Safeline Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Centre representative social worker Amy Goliath, who was at the protest, said they were supporting and bringing awareness to the community alongside relevant groups operating in Mitchell's Plain.
“As Safeline we render services to child victims.
“Our presence was against the abuse of children and also demonstrates our commitment and support to bring change in our community,” she said.
Mitchell’s Plain United Residents’ Association (MURA) court watch Linda Jones said it was important that the community is aware of predators and have their voices heard.
The Tafelsig man is one of three child online sexual predators arrested, from Worcester and Kraaifontein, in a joint operation by SAPS Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) unit and USA Department of Homelands Security last month.
Since November seven child online sexual predators have been arrested - three in the Western Cape, three in Gauteng and one in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to Brigadier Mathe, these arrests form part of an international operation to trace manufacturers, users, and distributors of child pornography.
The 53-year-old Worcester man was arrested on Wednesday January 17. Police confiscated 95 000 images and 6 000 videos of child pornography.
He faces a charge of accessing, distributing and being in possession of child pornography.
The 40-year-old Kraaifontein man was arrested a day later. More than 149 000 pictures of child pornography and more than 5 000 videos were confiscated.
He was found being in possession of two unlicensed firearms and various calibre of ammunition, and nine snakes, three of which he did not have a permit for.
He is faces charges of being in possession of illegal firearms and ammunition, possession, distribution and accessing of child pornography.
This was a joint operation with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Western Cape, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Cape Nature, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) .
SAPS is asking parents to be aware of the following when it comes to their children’s use of technology and social media:
- Monitor the devices and social media accounts of your children to ensure they don’t fall prey to such crimes.
- Install parental control software and apps that can identify and block harmful content in chats, forms and other internet communication tools.
- Advise children not to respond to messages or emails from strangers.
- Never upload sexually suggestive images of yourself to the internet.
- Never reveal personal information about yourself, including where you stay or which school you go to, to an online friend.
- Never agree to meet a stranger in private.
- Inform an adult or call 086 001 0111 to report any incident that makes you feel uncomfortable.
