Child porn material accused Wilken, Moodley denied bail

GAUTENG – Wilken and Moodley were arrested on separate occasions last month, following the discovery of more than 10 million videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of minors at their Midrand apartment. It’s alleged that the couple’s cover was blown when a sextortion complaint by an underaged girl in the United States of America led investigators to a global syndicate which Wilken allegedly ran.

Delivering bail judgment on Friday, Magistrate Pravina Raghunandan found that if the pair were released on bail, the sense of peace and security amongst local and international community members would be undermined and that the public’s confidence in the criminal justice system would be jeopardized.

The court also noted that the state has a strong case against the accused and its earlier claim that three countries had inquired about their possible extradition was an incentive for both Wilken and Moodley to take advantage of legal loopholes to evade prosecution.

The court said it also noted Moodley’s attempts to distance herself from the allegations against her partner, Wilken. The couple face multiple counts of money laundering and other charges linked to the distribution of child sexual abuse material.

In her affidavit, Moodley pleaded ignorance and said she was merely used by her boyfriend. However, the state argued that she was a willing participant who tried to erase electronic evidence linking her to the alleged crime.