A 26-year-old man who used Facebook and Instagram to lure young women with fake modelling and photoshoot opportunities has been sentenced to four life terms for rape.
According to NPA Gauteng Division communications officer Magaboke Mohlatlole, Victor Mokoena was sentenced by the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg after being convicted of four counts of rape, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and pointing an object resembling a firearm.
Mokoena was sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the four rape counts.
He was also sentenced to 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, two years for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and one year for pointing an object resembling a firearm. The additional sentences will run concurrently with the life sentences.
Mohlatlole said Mokoena operated in and around Johannesburg between March 2021 and October 2024, targeting young women through Facebook and Instagram.
He allegedly presented himself as a photographer or promoter and lured the women with offers of modelling, promotional and photoshoot opportunities.
“Once the victims arrived at the agreed locations, Mokoena took them to secluded areas, where he raped and assaulted them,” Mohlatlole said.
In some instances, he allegedly strangled the victims, threatened them with an object resembling a firearm and robbed them of their belongings.
Mohlatlole said Mokoena also deleted conversations and contact details from the victims’ cellphones in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity and frustrate the investigation.
Several cases were eventually linked through similarities in Mokoena’s modus operandi and digital evidence obtained from the victims.
Investigators established that he had used different names when communicating with his victims.
Further investigation by Sergeant Nedombeloni ultimately linked the various cases to Mokoena.
State Advocate Hope Zwane, in aggravation of sentence, submitted that Mokoena’s deliberate planning and persistence in identifying and luring his victims to secluded locations demonstrated that he posed a danger to society.
The court concurred with the State’s submissions and found that Mokoena had treated his victims with disdain and had used derogatory language towards them.
Mohlatlole said the NPA welcomed the substantial sentences imposed by the court and commended the investigating officers and prosecution team for their efforts in linking the various cases.
The NPA also reiterated its commitment to pursuing perpetrators of sexual offences and ensuring that victims of gender-based violence receive justice.
Mohlatlole urged members of the public, particularly young people, to exercise caution when responding to unsolicited offers or opportunities on social media.
He said people should verify individuals’ identities before meeting them in person.
