Sex Predator Vergotine to Learn His Fate on Thursday

“He is the creator, the distributor and the rapist. The triad. The worst of the worst.”

These were the statements made by State Prosecutor Renée Uys at the start of sentencing proceedings on Tuesday for Leano Vergotine, 41, who was found guilty of 15 out of 17 charges in the Western Cape High Court, currently held at the Wynberg Regional Court.

Vergotine faced convictions for rape, possession of child pornography, utilizing a child for child pornography, sexual grooming, creation of child pornography contrary to the Films and Publications Act, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, and assault.

Charges of kidnapping and attempted rape resulted in a not guilty verdict. Uys urged the court to impose the most severe sentence of life imprisonment for the rape charges, the maximum for pornography offenses, and 15 years for utilizing a child in pornographic material, asserting that Vergotine exemplifies a remarkably dangerous offender.

“Child pornography is a lasting record. These children will grow into adults, with that fear lingering, hoping someone in Ceres never sees it. At present, they are safeguarded, even with extensive media coverage, because their identities are protected; however, there are videos,” Uys stated in court.

“Mr. Vergotine is the representation of locking him up and discarding the keys.”

Detective Captain Shaun van der Heever, Commander of the Investigative Psychology Section of the Western Cape and a forensic profiler, echoed that sentiment, characterizing Vergotine as a methodical and deliberate predator.

In his statement, Van der Heever said after reviewing the evidence and analyzing Vergotine’s behavior, it was clear he had meticulously groomed his victims for sexual pleasure, manipulating them to trust him while making them believe it was merely a game.

Vergotine also recorded videos of his sexual acts with the victims to relive his fantasies, Van der Heever informed the court.

He described Vergotine as a sexual predator capable of exploiting minor victims, normalizing pornography as an everyday event and befriending victims to gain their trust prior to subjecting them to horrific abuse.

“Based on his victimology, he exhibits traits indicative of potential pedophilic disorder,” Van der Heever stated.

Uys presented to the court Vergotine’s extensive six-page list of prior convictions dating back to 1998, covering offenses such as housebreaking, indecent assault, theft, escape from custody, robbery, and possession of an illegal firearm.

Most notably, in 2010, Vergotine was convicted of raping a minor and received a 15-year sentence, of which he only served 12.

Uys pointed out that Vergotine had employed an identical modus operandi, taking a boy victim to a secluded area and raping him.

“He didn’t even wait long to commit the same acts. An individual like Vergotine cannot be rehabilitated,” Uys declared.

Despite this, defense attorney Nawaal Abduragmaan urged the court to refrain from passing a sentence based solely on anger, advocating instead for a measure of mercy, though she admitted the severity of her client’s crimes.

“The accused acknowledges his conviction for very serious offenses and is aware of the impact on the victims. I ask the court to entertain the possibility of his rehabilitation,” Abduragmaan stated.

In mitigation, she explained to the court that Vergotine had been the primary breadwinner for his family, who were now suffering due to his actions.

The State alleged that Vergotine, from Ceres, targeted multiple minors during separate incidents.

Prosecutors accused him of raping a 16-year-old girl in September 2022, anally penetrating and raping a 15-year-old boy while filming the assault, and grooming and raping a nine-year-old child repeatedly.

He is also accused of performing oral sex on boy victims. In her guilty verdict on Monday, Acting Judge Amanda Van Leeve expressed harsh criticism of Vergotine’s testimony, describing it as fabricated and contradictory.

She remarked that Vergotine claimed he slapped a minor for stealing his cellphone, money, and alcohol, yet he always possessed his cellphone to record the incriminating videos.

Van Leeve further pointed out that Vergotine lured the second child complainant to his abode under the false pretense that her friend was present, a friend he was aware he had previously assaulted.

“The accused did not come across as a credible witness,” Van Leeve noted.

In a defiant act as he was led away following Monday’s judgement, Vergotine turned to the media, raised his middle finger, and explicitly declared, “F**k you.”

Acting Judge Van Leeve is anticipated to deliver sentencing on Thursday.