SECURITY OFFICER SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR RAPE OF A MINOR
04 AUGUST 2025
SECURITY OFFICER SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR RAPE OF A MINOR
26-year old security officer, Mpho Antonio Lebona, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court for the rape of a 14-year-old girl at a complex in Florida, Roodepoort in January 2021.
The victim managed to escape and immediately reported the incident to other residents which led to the accused’s swift arrest at the scene and he was charged with Rape. Further investigations by Sergeant Baloyi, revealed that the incident occurred on the accused’s first day of employment, where he was tasked with overseeing access to the complex’s communal washing area.
The victim, who resided at the complex, approached Lebona to unlock the washing area. The victim’s parents were at work during the commission of the offence, the accused locked the door behind them and raped the victim, also inflicting a bite wound on her neck.
During the trial, evidence revealed the devastating impact of the crime, with the victim providing a detailed and harrowing account of the assault. The accused admitted to being with the victim but claimed their interaction was consensual. However, the Magistrate, Thelma Simpson dismissed his testimony as entirely false and improbable, convicting him of rape which led to the subsequent sentence.
Regional Court Prosecutor, Mr. Claude Payne presented a Victim Impact Statements from the girl and her mother which highlighted the trauma, particularly the brutal loss of the victim’s virginity. Citing the nature of the crime against a child.
The Magistrate deemed life imprisonment the only befitting sentence, reflecting the court’s commitment to justice for such heinous acts.
Issued by:
Phindi Mjonondwane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division, Johannesburg
083 402 4787 / 011 220 4245