South Africa: Police On Conviction of Computer Programmer for Possession of Child Pornography

25 November 2023
Government of South Africa (Pretoria)
press release

It is a crime to be in possession of child pornography warns Captain Bezuidenhout whose investigation led to the conviction of a computer programmer sentenced to 6548 years imprisonment

Today marks the beginning of the 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children. During this period, the SAPS will highlight the work of its detectives who through their investigations seek to ensure justice for millions of GBVF survivors.

Today, we introduce the nation to Captain Bez Bezuidenhout whose recent investigation culminated in the sentencing of an online child sexual predator.

In October this year, the member and his team from the Serial and Electronic Investigations Unit in the Free State (SECI) successfully ensured that 36-year-old Mario Guisti, was handed down 6548 years in prison for rape , creation of child pornography, possessing and downloading child pornography, causing a child to be present in an act of self-masturbation and human trafficking.

Guisti, a computer programmer by profession had been befriending and targeting boys between the age of eight(8) and ten (10) years old for the sole purpose of feeding his sexual desires of creating child pornography and performing sexual acts on young boys.

The suspect was traced to Welkom and arrested by Captain Bezuidenhout and his team in August 2022. The team of detectives had been following up on information that alerted police to an online user who had been uploading child sexual assault material (CSAM).

In the same month of October, Bezuidenhout also led the conviction of a 60-year-old African man who cannot be identified to protect the identity of his 10-year-old niece whom he raped and performed sexual acts on. The man was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of creating child pornography with his 10 year old niece , where he would instruct her on video what acts to do, the video evidence led to the suspect pleading guilty .

Bezuidenhout forms part of the Serial and Electronic Investigations (SECI) Unit that has identified 27 active online child sexual predators in the country. The first four have already been arrested in Gauteng and in KwaZulu Natal in the past three weeks.

With more than 28 years' experience in solving GBVF related cases, the member advises parents to monitor their children's devices.

"Monitor your children's devices such as tablets and phones on a daily basis. Install parental software apps that will be able to block harmful content. Young children should not be in chat groups. Daily monitoring will ensure more children are saved from such predators. These predators even lure children through online computer games, parents must be extra vigilant" , warned Capt Bezuidenhout.

The Serial and Electronic Investigations ( SECI) is a unit within the SAPS that is responsible for tracing and arresting serial rapists as well as taking down those involved in the possession, distribution and creating of child pornography.

Read the original article on Govt of SA.

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