Child porn accused seeking bail
2011-02-01 13:14
Pretoria - A 31-year-old woman accused with eight others of a string of charges ranging from sexually assaulting children to child pornography asked for another magistrate to hear her bail application in the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Chris Greyvenstein, who represents the woman, submitted that she would not receive a fair hearing as Magistrate Pierre Wessels had already heard evidence relating to her co-accused and had already denied them bail.
The woman's eight co-accused were arrested last year and were denied bail early in January.
Wessels refused the application, finding that it would not have been made had the others been granted bail.
He said that, in his 20 years of hearing bail applications, he had found it was only when bail was denied that a co-accused demanded another magistrate.
Clean slate
"The court needs to make a decision on the facts placed before it. She stands with a clean slate before me," said Wessels as he refused the application.
The woman, who is believed to be the wife of accused number eight, was arrested in January near Hammanskraal.
The group face charges of rape, indecent assault, sexual grooming of children and possession, manufacturing and distribution of child pornography.
The eight arrested last year include a grandfather, 58, grandmother, 57, their two sons from previous relationships, aged 34 and 36, the grandfather's brother, 61, and his wife, 42, and their son, who is reportedly mentally disabled. The 26-year-old wife of one of the sons was also arrested.
Six children, aged four and older, were allegedly used in sex movies which were then distributed. Four other children were removed from the care of the accused and are undergoing psychological and medical examinations.
During the bail applications made in January, the court heard that the State was investigating the possibility of a connection with a child pornography syndicate.
The woman's bail application will be heard on February 7.
- SAPA
