News24 | Ex-teacher in court for allegedly grooming young boys and exposing them to porn

A former teacher appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on charges of sexually grooming children. (Google© Streetview, Google Maps, taken 2023)

• A former teacher and principal appeared in court on charges of sexually grooming children and exposing them to pornography.
• It is alleged the 41-year-old man sent explicit videos and photos to children.
• According to police, they are still tracing a further six child victims.

A former Pretoria teacher and principal, accused of sexually grooming young boys and sending them explicit videos and pictures of himself, has made his first appearance in court.

The 41-year-old man, who cannot be named until he has pleaded to the charges, made a brief appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. 

Wearing a blue jacket, T-shirt and jeans, the man stood quietly in the dock as the State asked the court for a postponement for bail investigations. 

The court heard the State wanted to verify the accused's address and whether he had any previous convictions or pending cases. 

The case was subsequently postponed to 24 December. 

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The former teacher and principal was charged with three counts of sexual grooming of children and three counts of exposure or display of pornography to children. 

It is alleged he sexually groomed three boys between the ages of 13 and 15.

News24 understands, in addition to allegedly sending the children explicit videos and photos of himself, he also allegedly asked the complainants to send pictures of themselves.

It is alleged he also video called one of the minor children and exposed himself. 

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the accused, a former teacher from the Raslouw Academy, contacted the complainants in August 2024.

One of the complainants told a teacher at the school, who requested the children bring their phones to school for "observation". 

Their parents were then informed, and a case was opened. 

According to police, they were still tracing a further six child victims. 

The man was arrested on Friday during a takedown operation by the police's Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) Unit, and Pretoria Central Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, in collaboration with the US Department of Homeland Security.  

Police said various electronic devices, suspected of containing sexual child abuse images and videos, were seized.

Meanwhile, officials from both the national and Gauteng SECI Unit and Forensic Social Work Unit, together with the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation, acted on information supplied by an international tip line, which led to the arrest of a 49-year-old man accused of sexually grooming and raping his girlfriend's 15-year-old daughter. 

The man was arrested at his home in Vanderbijlpark last Thursday. 

He is due to make his first appearance in court on Tuesday.