5 YEARS DIRECT IMPRISONMENT FOR MAN WHO FORGED PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES
23 MAY 2025
5 YEARS DIRECT IMPRISONMENT FOR MAN WHO FORGED PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES
The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court has sentenced Scebi Nene (36) to five years direct imprisonment after he pleaded guilty (Section 105A Plea and Sentence Agreement) to cyber forgery, cyber uttering and disclosing intimate data images.
Between September 2022 and May 2023, Nene downloaded images of certain individuals, including the President of the Republic of South Africa, Hon. Cyril Ramaphosa, Bheki Cele (former Police Minister), and Khehla Sithole (former Police National Commissioner), amongst others. Nene then downloaded images of a sexual nature and superimposed these images onto the images of the complainants. This created a false impression that the images were the authentic images of the complainants. Nene then disseminated these manipulated images.
In his plea Nene mentioned that he was employed by Coca-Cola between 2018 and 2019. During this period, he had a feeling that people were following him, and he decided to report this to the police. The police at the station told him to observe if this happens again and come back to them.
Nene said that he still found that he was being followed and reported this at two other police stations, but (according to him) his claims were dismissed. He says that he thereafter approached the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), but nobody took him seriously. Subsequently, he decided to contact the office of the former Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, but still received no assistance.
That was when he downloaded the images of the complainants and the images of a sexual nature and superimposed the two, making it seem that it was the complainants in those graphic images. He also admitted to distributing the images. Nene mentioned that he is remorseful and has undertaken not to commit a similar offence again in the future.
Nene was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for cyber forgery. The cyber uttering and disclosing of the intimate images was taken as one for sentencing, and he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in the effective sentence of five years' imprisonment.
The matter was successfully finalised by Adv. Shika Siverpersad.
The National Prosecuting Authority views offences of this nature in a serious light. We advise members of the public to use technology with caution and due regard for the consequences.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara
NPA Regional Spokesperson
KZN Division
0716700229