November 30 (ANA) – A Plettenberg Bay man accused of having links to an international baby pornography network appeared in the Knysna Regional Court on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old computer engineer, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, made a brief appearance before the matter was postponed to January next year.
The accused’s last appearance was on October 17 and was postponed to finalise the charge sheet which contains charges relating to about 179 000 images of child abuse, rape and torture.
At his October appearance, the court was told that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) wants the accused to be individually charged for each image.
It was estimated that this process could take up to three months.
Defence laywer Carl Jeppe asked for the matter to be struck off the roll claiming the state had had ample time to prepare the charge sheet.
But, Magistrate Eugenia Jacobs allowed a final postponement to November 30.
On Wednesday, the court was informed that major headway had been made in formulating the charge sheet and that more than 107 000 images had already been described.
The accused was the first South African arrested as part of a collaboration between South African and international police. The operation was named Cloud 9.
When he was arrested at his seaside home in January last year, police seized his laptop and found traces of files said to include videos and photographs depicting violent assaults.
Internet addresses of over three hundred alleged paedophiles were also allegedly found on the computer.
Janet Harding, a spokesperson for Green Hearts, a local anti-child abuse group, said they were relieved that the case was finally moving forward.
-African News Agency (ANA)
