Sex pest librarian’s sentencing postponed

A northern areas librarian and convicted rapist will have to wait almost a month to find out his sentence.

Romano Hendricks was found guilty earlier this month of luring boys to his home and performing sexual acts on them.

His sentencing proceedings were postponed yesterday after Hendricks’s lawyer, George Malgas, objected to prosecutor Kenny Van Biljon’s remarks regarding the impact the case had on the teenage victims.

After hearing arguments by Malgas, the court postponed the matter to next month to allow the state to obtain victim impact reports.

Hendricks, 37, was found guilty on May 4 on eight charges, including statutory rape, sexual exploitation of children and grooming.

At the start of the trial, he pleaded not guilty, claiming that the two boys, aged 13 and 14 at the time, had never been at his Bethelsdorp home where the offences took place.

However, the court found the state had proved beyond reasonable doubt that on occasions during 2019 the teens had visited Hendricks’s house, where he would expose them to pornography.

Hendricks would also perform sexual acts with them.

In his earlier testimony, Hendricks admitted he had previously been accused of sex acts against a 14-year-old while he lived in Arcadia but was later acquitted on all charges.

During the trial, it emerged that both the boys had heard rumours that they would get money from Hendricks if he could do what he wanted with them.

They both testified that they had never been hurt or threatened by Hendricks.

The matter is expected back in court on June 13.