A 36 year old man believed to be an alleged WhatsApp sexual predator, was arrested on 30 September at his home in Walmer.

The suspect appeared at the Gqeberha Magistrate Court on Friday 01 October, on charges of exposing an adult to witnessing self-masturbation, indecent exposure and crime injuria. He is currently in custody and will have his next appearance in court on 04 October 2021.

After months of trying to crack a case, the SAPS Gauteng Provincial along with the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation Unit (SECI), got a big break on the case and arrested the serial WhatsApp predator who was victimising females across the country, since March 2016.

The three-month long investigation against this case, came when a reporter for a mainstream media approached the SECI and a private investigator appointed to assist in locating the suspect, formal investigations started since June 2021.

Upon interviewing 25 victims, the SECI revealed the manner used to victimise the victims was the same in all of them. They also discovered the alleged perpetrator would randomly research estate agents and would obtain their private cell phone numbers, contact them using WhatsApp video call.

The victims informed on how their perpetrator would talk ‘dirty’ to them and thereafter perform unpleasant sexual acts during the video call. The SECI and the Cyber Intelligence provided a great help in locating the suspect, leading to his arrest and confiscation of his mobile phone.

Police are urging other females who may have also been victims to the predator, have encountered similar harassment and did not report it, to get in touch with D/WO Hulingonda Smuts at SAPS Walmer detectives on 082 319 8707 or Crime stop on 08600 1 0111 or to also use MySAPS App.