An East London man arrested with more than 200 child pornography videos during a crackdown by local and US homeland security officers, has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Ian Kloot, 53, admitted to possessing four pictures and 205 videos, showing explicit content of minor boys being sexually violated by men.
Kloot was arrested in March 2024 by members of the serial and electronic crime investigations head office (SECI) in the Eastern Cape, together with the department of homeland security investigations from the US Embassy, during a crackdown on online child sexual predators in SA.
The operation started in 2023 after SA law enforcement authorities were informed of the existence of the group by US law enforcement authorities.
Sentencing Kloot on Thursday, magistrate Merwin Meyer said the offences Kloot was convicted of — unlawful and intentional accessing, viewing and downloading of child pornography and possession of pornography — were serious offences.
It was clear in such videos and pictures that the minors were abused.
Meyer said he was mindful that though Kloot’s downloads were less in comparison to other similar cases, the downloads were still a significant amount, which was not a mitigating factor for Kloot.
“It is clear that if it was not for the quick response of the [local and international police authorities] ... the accused would have continued to access [the websites where he downloaded the material],” Meyer said.
It was established that Kloot, from Quigney, used three different accounts to access the sites.
Meyer said Kloot’s behaviour indicated that he was a person who knew the reality of the situation.
The court heard during mitigation of sentence that Kloot was from a poor and uneducated family, taking care of his ailing mother and unemployed older brother, unmarried with no children and direct imprisonment would lead to the family losing their generational home.
Meyer said having considered the personal circumstances, the interests of society and purpose of punishment and the law, he was of the view the sentence he imposed would serve both the interests of society and it would “serve as a deterrence”.
Meyer further declared him unfit to possess a firearm and for Kloot’s name to be included in the national register for sexual offences.
The sentence garnered different views from children’s rights and gender-based violence activists.
Eastern Cape Men’s Movement’s the Rev Xolamzi Sam said: “Good work by the investigators. Hopefully he is not part of a ring.
“The justice system also has done wonderfully. We hope this is a start of good work to end cyber crime. Child molesters have no place in our society.”
Dr Lesley Ann Foster of Masimanyane Women’s Rights International said the sentence was too light.
“The irreparable damage done to those children — the fact that he didn’t participate in the action doesn’t make it right — and I think we have got to take these issues much stronger than we do because it’s very harmful to children and it’s a culture that seems to be growing across our country and across the world, and I feel that sentence was too little,” Foster said.
Petros Majola of Khula CDP EC Children’s Rights Organisation said a lot needed to be done in educating people about pornography.
“We need to strengthen education but those who watch those videos need to be referred to psychologists because there’s no way someone would enjoy himself watching children being violated.
“[Child] pornography is a very serious crime that needs to be investigated,” Majola said.
Daily Dispatch
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