Plett child sex case: shocking details emerge
A man accused of child sex abuse allegedly lured girls to his home with promises of cookies and other treats, a court heard.
|||Cape Town - Shocking details of the alleged sexual abuse of four young Plettenberg Bay girls at the hands of a Ghanaian man surfaced when the 38-year-old suspect applied for bail in the local magistrate’s court on Friday.
The court appearance follows a series of arrests of local men allegedly linked to sex crimes against children in the coastal holiday town since January.
Ernest Morid was arrested by members of the George family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit (FCS) at his home in Kwanokuthula on September 8 after allegedly committing several sexual offences involving four young girls between the ages of seven and 11.
On Friday, the court heard how the suspect allegedly lured the children – including the daughters of a local police officer, who is also his neighbour – to his home with promises of cookies and other treats before attempting to perform sexual acts with them.
Investigating officer Warrant Officer Christopher Wolhuter said in August the man allegedly called three young girls to his home, locked the door behind them and instructed them to undress and lay on the bed. They claim he then went to the bathroom and when he returned he was only wearing “small” underwear”.
They said that when he went back to the bathroom one of them got the house key, unlocked the door and they ran away.
He added on another occasion he lured two children to his home with the promise of cookies and showed them a pornographic film.
“The children could describe what happened in the movie,” said Wolhuter.
The suspect, who runs a hair salon in Kwanokuthula, also allegedly called a girl to his house after blowdrying her hair, instructed her to get onto her knees and attempted to have oral sex with her.
“She refused and ran way,” said Wolhuter.
He said he was investigating another matter involving the same man where he allegedly promised a 14-year-old girl a cellphone in exchange for sex.
After his arrest a drug charge was also added to the charge sheet and it came to light that Morid did not have the necessary documentation to be in South Africa.
Although Morid admitted that a “small amount” of dagga found at his house when he was arrested was his and that he was in the country illegally – he denied the other charges.
Morid said he believed the charges stemmed from a disagreement he had with two of the children’s father – the husband of his police officer neighbour.
He said his neighbour “was a drunk” and on several occasions asked him for money. Three days before his arrest, however, the neighbour sent the children to him to ask for money again.
“I didn’t give him the money as business wasn’t good that day. He later saw me put money in my pocket and confronted me about it,” said Morid. He added that the man then threatened him.
The matter was postponed to October 15 when the bail application was set to continue.
Women and Men against Child Abuse and anti-child abuse group, the Green Hearts, obtained 3 733 signatures from residents supporting a petition opposing bail for the suspect. “The community is outraged with the number of child abuse cases on the Garden Route and especially Plettenberg Bay, spokeswoman Joanne Barrett said.
Cape Argus