A 38-year-old man from Bethlehem has been convicted and sentenced in the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court, North West for the sexual grooming of his 14-year-old stepdaughter.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the recent conviction follows an investigation which began in 2023 after the victim's mother reported allegations of sexual abuse. 

The investigation, led by Sergeant Frans Mofokeng, indicated that the suspect had been engaging in sexual grooming since the girl was 12 years old. 

The abuse allegedly took place at their residence in Bethlehem, between 2021 and 2023.

“It was also revealed that the suspect would allegedly compel the victim to watch pornographic material.

“The 14-year-old victim experienced a behaviour change and was referred to a psychologist, where she disclosed the abuse, leading to the registration of a case while the suspect was in the United States of America,” the statement read. 

The stepfather was arrested on 13 November 2023, upon his arrival at OR Tambo International Airport.

“During the trial, Mr Nhlapo, the prosecutor, said the suspect pleaded guilty to sexual grooming of the 14-year-old and was found guilty of sexual grooming and sentenced to six years imprisonment, with half of the sentence suspended for five years.” 

On Friday, SAnews reported that while the latest statistics have shown significant progress in crime fighting, with a decrease in most major crime categories recorded in the fourth quarter of the previous financial year, sexual offences and commercial crime remain a concern.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented the quarterly crime statistics, covering the period from 1 January to 31 March 2025, which reflect both encouraging improvements and areas requiring intensified efforts.

The report showed reductions across multiple crime categories. 

However, sexual offences, including rape and contact sexual offences, as well as commercial crimes, recorded increases during the quarter.

The country’s four most crime-affected provinces, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape, contributed the majority of murder cases nationwide.

Among the 30 police stations with the highest murder rates, 13 registered lower incidents, while two stations recorded no change.

The report also saw the murder of 22 police officers, including six killed while on duty and 16 off duty. Of these, Gauteng alone recorded 10 of these cases.

“This is not just a loss to the SAPS but to the entire nation. An attack on a police officer is an attack on the state, and those responsible will face the full might of the law,” Mchunu warned. –