A Bonteheuwel mom, who was busted for manufacturing and selling child porn on the dark web, allegedly exploited all of her five kids including an 18-month-old boy by selling their naked photos to paedophiles in America and South Africa.
The Daily Voice can exclusively reveal that the 32-year-old woman was not arrested by the FBI but was instead investigated by the US Homeland Security Department along with the Western Cape Serial and Electronic Crimes Investigations (SECI) Unit.
Yesterday the woman, who cannot be named, returned to the Bishop Lavis Magistrates’ Court where it was also revealed that more charges are pending.
Dressed in a grey tracksuit top and her hair tied up in a bun, the mother looked around to spot her family after emerging from the court’s holding cells.
The case sparked an uproar last month when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that the woman had appeared in court following her arrest at her home in Bluegum Street.
According to a source, the woman was nabbed after an extensive investigation revealed that she had been selling naked photographs of herself since 2019.
The source says she then started downloading a range of child pornography from the dark web and attempted to sell it but when she could not make a sale, she opted to create her own child porn using her daughter and four sons.
“The FBI was not here in Cape Town,” the source says.
“The FBI was investigating the use of an app called Kick and discovered that the child porn manufacturer was originating from an address in South Africa.
“They informed the US Homeland Security Department who, in turn, contacted SECI and that is how she was traced.”
“After months of investigation, she was arrested on 11 March, where cops confiscated all her electronic equipment.
“She first started selling naked photographs of herself along with her four-year-old daughter where she was performing sexual acts on the child.”
“That is why she is also facing a rape charge.
“She has four minor sons who were also used for child porn and this included her 18-month-old baby boy.
“All the children have now been placed with relatives while she is in custody.”
The source says at this stage, investigators are still calculating exactly how much money she made from child porn.
He adds that she also sold to paedophiles in South Africa.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila says the case has been postponed to 15 September for further investigation.
The woman has not yet applied for bail and will remain in custody at Pollsmoor Prison.