A 16-year-old teenager from Malmesbury facing 15 charges relating to the accessing, possession, facilitation and downloading of child sexual abuse material, has been found fit to stand trial.

The suspects’ case was on the court roll at the Malmesbury Magistrates’ Court yesterday (5 October) for an assessment feedback and finalisation of observations after he was booked into Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for a 30 day observation.

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The medical report indicates that he does not have any mental illness and has no intellectual disability.

The accused who was arrested at his parent’s home on 17 August, was found to be fit to stand trial and follow proceedings, the NPA regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed shortly after the court adjourned.

His arrest came after close collaboration between the Saps’ National Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) and American law enforcement agencies involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Embassy, and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A preliminary on-site analysis of the teenagers’ electronic devices uncovered explicit images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and animal mutilation.

Investigators linked the suspect to a fragmented violent online network called “764” and noted that he did not act alone.

The matter was adjourned to 15 October 2026 for a bail application.

Meanwhile, a day after an 18-year-old was arrested in Hartenbos on charges of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material, Mossel Bay’s Family Violence and Child Protection Unit arrested a second suspect (17) on 2 October.

The 18-year-old from Hartenbos allegedly had more than 50 explicit photographs of young children on his cellphone. Police were alerted after he allegedly sent a photograph of a man committing sexual acts with a child to a 12-year-old girl in Gauteng, according to local media reports.

The 17-year-old from Mossel Bay was arrested at his home in Extension 8, D’Almeida, and faces charges of creating and distributing child sexual abuse material and manipulation of a child for sexual purposes, commonly known as grooming.

He allegedly coerced a 12-year-old girl from Riversdale to send him an explicit video of herself.

Details of the Mossel Bay investigations have not been disclosed.