Model agency boss denies sex assault
Johannesburg model agency boss Dawie De Villiers denied sexually assaulting and defrauding a 16-year-old model.
|||Johannesburg - Johannesburg model agency boss Dawie De Villiers on Thursday denied sexually assaulting and defrauding a 16-year-old model.
De Villiers, who is facing a range of charges including rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, intimidation, fraud and possession of child pornography, was testifying in the South Gauteng High Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
Earlier in the trial, the 16-year-old model told the court that she was at De Villiers’ house for a photoshoot in his room when he put his hand under her skirt, near her pubic area.
On Thursday, De Villiers said: “Up until today I was surprised when I saw her name on the indictment because she is still my friend on Facebook.”
The girl had also testified that De Villiers had asked her to marry him while she was at his house for dinner.
De Villiers, however, told the court that he was joking with the girl. He said he had told her that she couldn’t be his wife because she smoked, to which she replied that if she didn’t smoke, would he consider marrying her.
“I’d never kiss a girl who smokes,” De Villiers told the court.
The girl had also told the court that De Villiers had tried to kiss her outside his residence after they had returned from an action cricket match.
Under questioning from State Prosecutor Arveena Persad, De Villiers maintained that the girl was lying.
“She’s definitely lying to the court,” De Villiers said.
Persad asked De Villiers if he knew why the girl would lie.
“They were all motivated by Carte Blanche,” he said. The investigative television programme produced a segment on De Villiers, detailing a series of allegations against him and his business practices.
Persad later asked De Villiers to tell the court about what happened with the photographs that he had taken of the girl.
De Villiers told the court that the girl and her mother wanted more photos which they hadn’t paid for.
“They received the photos they paid for,” he said.
He added that the agency had calendars that were made to create interest and exposure for the models, and that the 16-year-old had received her calender, but her mother denied ever getting it.
De Villiers said the R4 000 they said they paid for the calender was in fact for other pictures and not the calender because that was for charity purposes.
Persad put it to De Villiers that he had in fact committed fraud, as well as sexually assaulting the girl.
The matter continues.
African News Agency