A 32-year-old man was sentenced to an effective 15-years in prison after photos on his Facebook positively linked him to a robbery on a farm in the St Francis Bay area.
Frans Nongolo and four accomplices tied up the complainant and his wife in February this year before stealing several household items.
The suspects fled in the couple's vehicle that was later found abandoned near Humansdorp.
Police Spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli says when police found the vehicle they lifted fingerprints off the car which gave them Nongolo's name.
He says not knowing what the suspect looked like the investigating officer typed Nongolo's name into Facebook and downloaded all the photographs he could find.
In one of the pictures, the suspect was wearing the victim's jacket and a watch that was positively identified by the complainant.
Nongolo was sentenced in the Humansdorp Magistrates court last week to 15 years for robbery, five years for theft of a motor vehicle and 10 years for keeping the victims' hostage during the robbery.
The sentences will run concurrently.
