Oral sex accused denied bail

Johannesburg - A 30-year-old man alleged to have tried to coerce schoolgirls to perform oral sex on him, and who is accused of having masturbated in front of a group of primary schoolgirls, has been denied bail.

The man, who is charged with two counts of sexual assault and six of sexual exploitation of a minor, appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where he was denied bail.

He has been in custody since his arrest on April 9.

The court ruled against his being granted bail on grounds that the man may commit similar offences, after admitting to the police that he “had a problem”.

The investigating officer testified that the accused told police officers he would get sexual urges at work and drive to quiet places to masturbate and relieve himself. He further told officers that he would ask girls for oral sex in exchange for money, and some girls took up the offer while others did not.

The charges were based on four incidents, with the alleged victims ranging in age from 11 to 17.

In two of the cases, the accused allegedly drove slowly by a high school in his car. On both occasions, he is alleged to have had no pants on, his penis in his hands and asked each girl for oral sex in exchange for money.

In another case, he is said to have stopped next to a primary school during the children’s break time and, in full view of the girls, who were seated on a hill and separated from him by a fence, proceeded to masturbate to ejaculation and wink at the girls before driving off.

In the fourth instance, a girl was walking home when the accused allegedly stopped and asked for oral sex. A few of the girls were able to memorise parts of the car’s registration number.

“There are children going from sports practice, going to school - we can’t take the children off the street,” the magistrate said when discussing bail.

The magistrate found it would be perilous to society to release the man on bail. The man has a three-month-old-baby with his wife of three years.

The investigating officer said both the man’s employer and wife were shocked to hear the charges. He has no previous convictions.

The mother of one alleged victim said during a court adjournment: “You do everything that you can to keep your daughter pure and innocent and protect them against so many different things, and he just takes away what we’ve worked so hard for so long to protect.”

The accused was positively identified at an identity parade in Krugersdorp by four of six witnesses. One of the alleged victims identified the accused at his IT workplace on the day of his arrest.

The investigating officer testified that he had heard of two more complaints the day before the bail hearing - of girls alleging the same scenario: a man in a white car stopping to solicit them for oral sex. All the alleged offences occurred between February and April.

Originally, only two charges were laid against the man in Roodepoort. Six more charges have since been added against him in Krugersdorp.

The trial is scheduled to take place late next month in Roodepoort. The defence stated that the defendant would likely plead not guilty.

During the court break, his wife mouthed: “I love you, I love you.”

A list of the alleged incidents:

* February 27, 2013

A Krugersdorp schoolgirl alleged that the accused drove next to her in his white car and solicited a “blowjob”.

* March 6, 2013

During morning break at a primary school, the accused allegedly stopped next to the school fence, where three girls were sitting on a hill with a clear view into his car. He had his pants pulled down and masturbated until ejaculation. He winked at the girls before driving off.

* March 11, 2013

A schoolgirl was walking home when the accused pulled up next to her in his white car and asked for a “blowjob”. She ran into her home and phoned her mother. A short while later, the same thing happened to her friend, who was on her way over to her house.

* April 26, 2013

Two Krugersdorp girls were solicited for oral sex near their school by the accused. He was in a white car.

karen.chen@inl.co.za

The Star