MXit child porn 'horrific'
2011-08-14 21:30
Johannesburg - Child pornography pictures confiscated when the Hawks swooped on the suspected leader of a child porn ring which spread its material on MXit, have been described as "horrific".
The suspect, an ex-policeman, was arrested on Thursday while trying to leave the country.
The 38-year-old man would appear in court on Monday, according to Rapport newspaper.
Visibly shaken when describing the content, a source told the newspaper he couldn't believe his eyes.
"It was a barrage of pictures of young girls aged between five and 10, some older. They were very, very explicitly shown," he says.
“Some were dressed up in costumes and made to stand in specific positions. One posed with a sword and armour, naked.
"One was of a girl of about five, wearing a white dress and lying on a bed, looking terrified. Her genital area was exposed. That picture was labelled 'The Wedding'.
"Horrendous,” he said.
Took pictures himself
The source, who asked that his name be withheld, said all the pictures had labels and the suspect claimed he had taken the pictures himself.
"I shudder to believe it. There were pictures of at least 20 different girls."
Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela said the court case would be a logistical nightmare because the suspect operated in at least three provinces.
The suspect was currently in custody in Durban, where investigators took him on Friday to search one of his properties.
The case is likely to be heard there [in Durban], he said.
Tough stance
MXit, a free online mobile instant messenger and social network, said it had taken a tough stance on cyber crime by adopting some of the most stringent social networking security guidelines available.
The company was working with police to apprehend those who abused its platform and offered officers social media training.
MXit also co-operated with the police’s cyber-crimes unit.
