Darren Wilken and Tiona Megan Moodley, facing charges of child pornography, were denied bail and will remain in custody awaiting trial. The magistrate cited concerns about public safety, flight risk, and the seriousness of the charges in their decision.
Darren Wilken and Tiona Megan Moodley, accused of child pornography offenses, were denied bail and will remain in custody until their trial begins. They appeared before the Randburg Magistrate's Court in Johannesburg on Friday, 28 January 2025, to hear the decision on their bail applications. The magistrate considered the prosecution's argument that the case against Wilken stemmed from a sextortion complaint filed by a minor in the United States.
This complaint led to an investigation that uncovered a website named Dankmegaz, allegedly owned and operated by Wilken. \Wilken attempted to downplay the financial allegations against him, claiming that the investigating officer, Hendrikus Johannes Boshoff, provided a vague description of his bank transactions. However, the magistrate dismissed this argument, citing detailed records from Wilken's FNB bank account that showed transactions ranging from R20,000 to R477,000 between January 2023 and December 2024. The magistrate found these records far from vague and pointed out that the state presented this transactional history to demonstrate the improbability of Wilken earning R50,000 per month as he claimed. \Furthermore, the magistrate ruled that Wilken failed to provide sufficient evidence linking the funds to his stated source of income. The origin of the money could not be verified, and his claim lacked sufficient evidence for acceptance. Additional evidence presented in court included WhatsApp conversations between Wilken and Moodley discussing websites and financial transactions. The magistrate expressed concern that the applicants might endanger public safety or a specific person, citing the evidence of their past conduct involving possession and distribution of pornographic material. The discovery of R647,300 in cash at Wilken's former home in Midrand further raised concerns about his potential flight from trial. Considering these factors, the magistrate denied bail, ruling that neither accused had proven that their release would be in the interest of justice
Child Pornography Bail Denial Court Proceedings Sextortion Financial Allegations
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