Whistleblower in pedo-pastor case allegedly was threatened
Source was bribed to keep quiet.
WEB
A source close to the pastor (53) who was arrested on 5 February on charges of paedophilia has contacted the Record to reveal more information regarding the case.
The person asked to stay anonymous and as far as possible the Record has attempted not even to imply the person's sex. Henceforth the person will be referred to as “X”.
The assistant pastor of an independent Newlands church (known to the Record) who was the subject of a lengthy and intense investigation that started as far back as October 2013 finally was arrested on 5 February. Allegedly he is the brother of the head pastor of the church and also involved with an affiliated crèche.
According to X he/she spent a fair amount of time with the suspect but became suspicious of the behaviour of the suspect's friends and family as they seemed to shun him and did not interact with him. X also said that no one would talk to him (the suspect) and that a person in his circle mentioned that he was “an unrehabilitated case”. This made X even more suspicious.
When X discovered the photos on the cellphone, he/she laid charges.
As at this stage X was having trouble finding a place to stay, another acquainted pastor offered X a place to stay in return for dropping the charges. X refused.
When X refused he/she allegedly was threatened by the suspect repeatedly.
A girl from Florida who also could be seen in some of the photographs helped the police to make the arrest, but the suspect now allegedly blames the girl's mother saying “the mother distributes the pornography” and that a “group of pastors” are involved.
Florida — A source close to the pastor (53) who was arrested on 5 February on charges of paedophilia has contacted the Record to reveal more information regarding the case.
The person asked to stay anonymous and as far as possible the Record has attempted not even to imply the person's sex. Henceforth the person will be referred to as “X”.
The assistant pastor of an independent Newlands church (known to the Record) who was the subject of a lengthy and intense investigation that started as far back as October 2013 finally was arrested on 5 February. Allegedly he is the brother of the head pastor of the church and also involved with an affiliated crèche.
According to X he/she spent a fair amount of time with the suspect but became suspicious of the behaviour of the suspect's friends and family as they seemed to shun him and did not interact with him. X also said that no one would talk to him (the suspect) and that a person in his circle mentioned that he was “an unrehabilitated case”. This made X even more suspicious.
When X discovered the photos on the cellphone, he/she laid charges.
As at this stage X was having trouble finding a place to stay, another acquainted pastor offered X a place to stay in return for dropping the charges. X refused.
When X refused he/she allegedly was threatened by the suspect repeatedly.
A girl from Florida who also could be seen in some of the photographs helped the police to make the arrest, but the suspect now allegedly blames the girl's mother saying “the mother distributes the pornography” and that a “group of pastors” are involved.
Police this year also discovered a dvd with child pornography in the suspect's home.
X who is conducting his/her own investigation concurrently with that of the SAPS, said that he/she was concerned and trying to establish whether the suspect, who is out on R2 000 bail, still has access to the crèche.
The suspect will appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates' Court on 3 March.
Roodepoort was also in the news last year when one of six men arrested for being part of a child porn syndicate was from Roodepoort.
This came after a tip-off from Interpol about the men's involvement in an international child porn syndicate.
The man, Andries Johannes Venter (46), a salesman, was arrested by the Florida police. His case started in the Roodepoort Magistrates' Court on 13 February.
South Africa has a National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) that was implemented in June 2009, following the promulgation of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act in 2007. The NRSO is a record of names of those found guilty of sexual offences against children and mentally disabled people.
Research has shown that between 90 and 95 per cent of paedophiles are male and that it is very hard to rehabilitate them once they have gone from fantasising to acting out their fantasies.
..and nobody comments on these evil acts! What hypocrisy is this? The Church is supposed to protect people and shun evil. Why are these independent churches not monitored?