A man of the cloth who indecently touched a 12-year-old girl insists he did nothing wrong telling police he was just playing with the girl.
The 38-year-old from Newlands appeared in the East London magistrate’s court on Monday, where he applied for bail.
He cannot be named until he has pleaded.
State prosecutor Melanie Weidemann opposed bail.
It is the state’s case that the pastor invited the victim and two of her friends to his home, where he abused her.
Afterwards he apparently gave the children R3.
The man, who told the court he was a pastor and ferried children to school for a living, said he did not know why he was arrested on January 19.
His counsel, attorney Zolile Matiwane, argued that the state’s case was weak.
Matiwane said his client had made a statement to police under compulsion by the investigating officer Sergeant Mpumelelo Ntlekiso.
In cross-examination, Weidemann put it to the accused he had not been forced to make the statement.
“You made admissions in the statement. You conceded the complainant was at your house,” she said.
“You admit you tickled the complainant. You did violate the complainant. The state will endeavour to prove you made the admission freely and voluntarily.”
The accused declined to comment. Weidemann said the state was opposing bail because it was likely the pastor would interfere with the witnesses.
Allegations had come to light about two other minors also saying the accused had violated them.
Weidemann said the accused had not raised any exceptional reasons for why he should be released.
Ntlekiso arrested the pastor on January 19 after a doctor examined the child and reported evidence of sexual abuse.
The officer said one of the little girl’s friends shared that the pastor had done the same to her when the child told them what had happened after they left the pastor’s home.
Ntlekiso said he informed the pastor why he was arresting him.
Source: https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2022-02-15-east-london-pastor-to-plead-not-guilty-to-raping-minor/
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