Convicted sex abuser ‘plays for more time’

Kempton Park model agency boss Dawie de Villiers told the South Gauteng High Court yesterday that he had run out of funds and needed time to raise money for the private compilation of a pre-sentencing document.

The founder of Modelling South Africa has been found guilty of rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, fraud, exposure of pornography to children and access to child pornography last month.

State prosecutor Arveena Persad told Judge Carla Van Veenendaal she believed De Villiers was employing delaying tactics as he had been given the opportunity to make use of Legal Aid when his counsel withdrew from the case.

“My advice would be for De Villiers to approach Legal Aid and his bail be extended to Tuesday.”

Advocate Annade Theart, acting for De Villiers, told the court that he would be unrepresented on Tuesday.

De Villiers told Van Veenendaal he only notified his lawyer that he didn’t have funds yesterday morning.

He added self-employed.

“I am self-employed and with all the impact of the media and everything else that has been happening, that has affected my income,” he said.

Earlier, Theart told the court they were instructed to withdraw due to nonpayment.

De Villiers said he required a further three months to raise the funds for the pre-sentencing procedures.

Persad said De Villiers’s request was unreasonable as he had been found guilty of raping a minor.

She said the defence notified her a week ago that they were withdrawing from the case due to lack of payment.

Van Veenendaal told De Villiers that she understood that his finances were strained, but that did not mean he could manipulate court processes.

“Think about having the sentencing report being drafted by the state and I’d advise you to approach Legal Aid directly,” she said.

The case was postponed to March 14. – ANA that he was