MAN SENTENCED FOR DOWNLOADING AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

19 MAY 2025

MAN SENTENCED FOR DOWNLOADING AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Bluedowns, South Africa, The Bluedowns Regional Court has sentenced Corne van Royen to an effective 12-year direct imprisonment, ordered his name to be entered into the National Register of Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm after he pleaded guilty to illegally downloading and distributing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. In a plea and sentencing agreement with the State, Van Rooyen confessed to committing ten offenses which included unlawful and intentional distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, unlawful and intentional assist in or facilitating child pornography, two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, two counts of illegal possession of ammunition, two counts of cruelty to animals and restricted activity involving threatened or protected species without a permit.

He admitted to downloading the Viber social media application, an instant messaging mobile application where one can transmit and receive messages, photos and videos. His username was “COME’ and his unmasking came up after officials of the United States Department of Homeland Security (HSI), infiltrated the relevant social media platform, identified him as the person with the username “COME”. He was linked via his user details as a person who had downloaded and distributed child pornography with other like-minded users. He said he joined the group because Viber was a social platform that promoted the selling of child pornography. He downloaded 453 images and videos of child pornography to store on his cell phone and other devices. When online, he broadcast his collection of child pornography to other users. He further confessed that he viewed child pornography and assisted or facilitated child pornography.

Police raided his Kraaifontein home on 18 January 2024 and found a 12-gauge Astra shotgun and a 9mm short Beretta firearm. He claimed that during December 2021, his friend introduced him to a man who owned a shotgun and a 9mm firearm and wanted to dispose of them. The man told him that he intended to throw the firearms either into the sea or down a crevice on a mountain. The accused offered to purchase them and intended to seal up the barrels with lead and display them in his home. He paid R1 000 for both firearms and was also given a container with ammunition. He never sealed the firearms and kept the ammunition in his safe. During his arrest, police also found that he was ill-treating the two dogs, three snakes and fish that were found on the property by not feeding them properly. He also admitted to being with a Pitbull terrier, which he tied on a short rope without any access to shade, contravening Section 2(1)(a) read with Sections 1, 3 & 4 of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.

He acknowledged being in unlawful possession of three ball python snakes, which are protected species, without a permit issued in terms of Chapter 7 of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004. He claimed his friend, a “Albertus” who from time to time resided with him, was the owner of the snakes that were found on the premises and was convicted of contravening Section 57(1) of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004. He was sentenced to a total of 49 years' direct imprisonment for all 10 charges, but the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, giving him 12 years' direct imprisonment. The court further ordered the six cellular phones, three USB drives, three memory cards, a laptop and an external hard drive seized from the accused be forfeited to the State.

Adv Nicolette Bell, Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, applauded the prosecution and investigation teams saying each of these successful prosecutions was the culmination of months and even years of painstaking investigative and prosecutorial work.

Issued by:

Eric Ntabazalila
National Prosecuting Authority
Regional Communications Manager – Western Cape
Tel: (021) 487 7308
Mobile: 073 062 1222