More charges against muso
|Published
SUSPECT: Jazz maestro, 48, appeared at the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court on Friday
A charge of sexual grooming has now also been added to the rap sheet of a well-known jazz musician and music teacher who was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old student.
The 48-year-old maestro was nabbed at his Kuils River home in July after the young singer accused him of rape and sodomy.
The alleged victim, who is now 21, says the abuse lasted for five years and only came to an end in 2019.
The accused, who is out on R1000 bail, made his second appearance in the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he heard that he now also faces a charge of sexual grooming in addition to rape and sexual assault.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed the added charge.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: “The case of a Cape Town jazz musician was on the roll at the Blue Downs Magistrates’ Court.
“He is charged with rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming.”
The matter was postponed to 26 February 2021 for further investigation.
The musician still cannot be named as ordered by the magistrate.
He appeared calm in the dock at Court 1 where the matter lasted for nearly five minutes before he was ushered out of the building by his attorney Envor Titus.
The two made their way to a silver Range Rover parked opposite the court.
The accused, dressed in blue jeans, a black hooded jacket and black formal shoes, wore a black mask, kept his head down and refused to speak to the media.
According to a well-placed police source, more alleged victims have come forward and cops “expect more charges to be added next year”.
The accused was the interim national deputy chairperson of the Trade Union for Musicians of SA and shared the stages with various big names in the music industry.
He was formerly a director of the Cape Town Music Institute.
Four members of One Billion Rising SA protested outside of court.
Spokesperson Reverend June Major told the Daily Voice: “I think it’s unfair that his identity must be protected, because how will other young boys and women know who the perpetrators are, who they need to watch out for?
“I will name him on Facebook, come and arrest me, but I choose to believe the victim.”
To prove sexual grooming, the State would have to show the victim was prepared for sexual thinking.
Attorney Joy van der Heyde told Weekend Argus: “There would be things like pornography used or gifts for rewards for a particular behaviour and manipulation to think a certain way.
“The predator will groom the victim into a position where the child thinks it’s normal and only when they are older do they realise that it was wrong.”
The alleged victim’s father previously told the Daily Voice that he trusted his young son with the accused.
“I’ve known him over 30 years and we sent our children to him because we were very close, so I couldn’t believe he did this,” the distraught dad, aged 44, said.
“He penetrated and groomed my son from the age of 14 and because (the accused) doesn’t live far from us, my son sometimes took a lift with him to (the music) school.”
The father said yesterday he would only comment once the case concludes, “as advised by legal counsel and the authorities”.