NPA
The Port Elizabeth Regional Court sentenced 42-year-old Kerwin Budden to an effective eight years imprisonment for the possession and distribution of child pornography on Thursday.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Budden was sentenced to 12 years, however, the court ordered that four years of the sentence be suspended for five years.
Spokesperson, Anelisa Ngcakani, said Budden was arrested as part of an investigation sparked by a tip-off from the FBI, which led to the arrest in August 2019 of Riaan Mans by Krugersdorp police for the alleged possession and distribution of child pornography.
“Mans had allegedly downloaded explicit child pornographic images, videos and chats through a mobile app. It is alleged that Mans confessed to police that he had shared the content with various people including Budden from Port Elizabeth,” she said.
Ngcakani said police obtained a search warrant and in collaboration with America's Homeland Security found several child pornographic images on his cell phone and laptop.
“In his plea, Budden admitted to sharing child pornography on social media platforms,” she said in a statement.
The NPA welcomed the sentence.
