A man has been nabbed after he allegedly held four street children captive for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
|||Durban - A 30-year-old Bellair man was arrested yesterday after he allegedly held four street children captive for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
A private investigator told the Daily News that the man had the boys locked in a room at his home in Bellair.
Three children escaped and alerted police, who found the remaining boy in the man’s house.
Police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, confirmed that the suspect was arrested at his home.
The man had been charged with child trafficking, sexual exploitation of children and also faced various charges in terms of the Child Care Act and Child Sexual Offences Act.
A spokeswoman for iCare, an NGO that helps street children, said they had assisted police after the children were taken into protective custody.
She said one child was found inside the man’s house in Bellair.
“Three others had managed to escape.” She said that at this stage it was not clear if the man had held other children captive.
Naicker said the man, who is expected to appear in court soon, allegedly held the boys, aged between 10 and 13, captive at his home for three weeks.
The suspect was also found in possession of 32 motor vehicle logbooks, he said.
Naicker said the children were found in good health.
rizwana.umar@inl.co.za
Daily News