Sexual predators exposed in crime documentary
THEY left South Africans on the edge of their seats with hit true crime series such as Devildsdorp, Rosemary’s Hitlist and Steinheist. Now, production agency IdeaCandy is at it again.
This time, it’s a two-part true-crime documentary, Convict Conman, which looks into sexual predators Dawie de Villiers and Michael O’Connor.
The documentary, which is streaming on Showmax, follows parallel investigations into both men.
In 2012, Carte Blanche journalist Sasha Wein received a tip-off to investigate De Villiers, a Kempton Park photographer and founder of Modelling South Africa.
Described in the first episode as “a sophisticated predator” and “the Kempton Park Hugh Hefner”, De Villiers is accused of fraud and of being sexually inappropriate with aspiring models, some younger than 16.
Nine years later, in 2021, with De Villiers sentenced to life in jail, investigative journalist Jana Marx (Devilsdorp) receives a tip-off to look into O’Connor. He runs a photography publication and wants to start business and fashion magazines, too. It’s during the Covid pandemic, so his staff have never met him – or seen his face. O’Connor says De Villiers is a “good friend”, but what else do they have in common?
The Showmax Original is directed by Safta-winning editor Nikki Comninos, who makes her directorial debut.
Comninos has been nominated for three Saftas in the past two years for her work on and
This week, she said she was delighted to have made her directorial debut with the gripping documentary.
“I am really proud of the series and I had a wonderful time making it with a brilliant team,” she said. “When journalists delve into a few complaints about De Villiers, they uncover many, many young women with the same story of Dawie’s abusive tactics.
“Then a mysterious businessman enters the story, a man with a strange interest in protecting this sex pest. This is a story about the crisis of sexual abuse in our country. It looks at the tactics used by paedophiles and conmen but also celebrates the women and journalists who exposed these men. All too often this abuse happens behind closed doors and Convict Conman swings this door wide open.”
Convict Conman chose to focus on the two cases because they “springboard a conversation around tactics of online conmen”.
“Their modus operandi is disturbingly similar and they also take their cues from global characters like Andrew Tate.”
De Villiers operated in Kempton Park for several years until 2012, when a tip-off to a journalist put his behaviour under scrutiny.
“He was using his power as a ‘model boss’ to lure young women to his house. Michael was operating in 2021 and used his power as a ‘media boss’ to lure professionals to his business and began to exploit them for money,” Comninos said.
As a woman, it had been tough to delve into two horrific cases of male predators, but also empowering.
“Many brave women came forward to bring their perpetrators to book, to tell their stories and work together to bring them to the screen.” She hoped the series would encourage audiences to talk about gender-based violence and online conning. Comninos faced many challenges. “It was difficult to get official answers from the Department of Correctional Services and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) … What I felt most was the difficulty in trying to tell this story right. I felt I had a great responsibility and I wanted to try my best to make this story powerful.”
Comninos said women in particular were fascinated by true crime.
“There are many theories about why women like true crime. One is that women are learning how to protect themselves, how to avoid getting into situations others have found themselves in. This is a disturbing thought: that women are seeking ways to feel safer in this unsafe world.”
She too is fascinated by true crime.
“I am interested in the psychology of predators. I am also interested in the fact that we live in such a violent country, and looking at true crime is a way to unpack what might be causing this level of violence where I live.”
Comninos gave insight into who was interviewed for the series.
“I spoke to the women who had been targeted by Dawie. I am very pleased these women were brave enough to come forward. I also had conversations with women who did not want to be on camera but who gave me valuable insight into their experiences with Dawie and Michael.
“I also sought analysis and reached out to psychologists, criminologists, and social commentators to help me understand the world in which this story takes place.”
Comninos said viewers could expect a tense and riveting ride.
“With conmen, there are moments of ‘how on earth could they get away with this?’ And in this series, there are also some very powerful moments of women speaking up.”
Watch the trailer: https://youtu. be/5aHukiZ6_FY. Stream now: https:// www.showmax.com/eng/tvseries/ dc1wcryh-convict-conman