
The South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested a 35-year-old man in Midrand on Friday. He was caught with child pornography, including downloading, accessing, and sharing it. He also had drugs and was involved in fraud. This arrest is part of ongoing efforts to fight child pornography and related crimes.
The operation, led by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) units of the SAPS, in collaboration with the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offenders (FCS) unit under Major General Mmantsheke Lekhele, targeted a residence in Midrand following a search-and-seizure warrant. The latest arrest has resulted in 21 suspects being apprehended nationwide over the past two years as part of the ongoing investigation.
According to the media statement released by the SAPS , amid the operation, a number of electronic devices suspected to contain child sexual abuse material were confiscated. A forensic analysis of these devices was conducted on scene by cybercrime experts, an estimated number of 10 million child pornography images and videos were detected tgsu far. Additionally, a large sum of cash suspected to be proceeds of crime was also seized.

Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda van Wyk for the SAPS said that the arrest emanates from information that was shared by international law enforcement with the SAPS after they had identified a target located in South Africa.

“Further investigation by our circuit team revealed that the suspect is hosting a website and distributing child pornography on a global scale for financial gain. The suspect is expected to appear before Randburg Magistrate’s Court next week while further investigation continues. “
This success follows recent arrestes made by the SECI teams. In December 2024, the SAPS apprehended a 41-year-old former principal in Pretoria and a 49-year-old suspect in Vanderbijlpark during similar operations.