News24 had previously not named Kennedy in coverage of the child rape case because he and his co-accused had not pleaded.
(Photo by Gallo Images/Foto24/Craig Nieuwenhuizen)
- Advocate Paul Kennedy died on Monday.
- He was an accused in a child sex trafficking case, in which he faced charges of rape and sexual assault.
- Kennedy, a senior figure in the legal fraternity, previously acted on the Bench.
Well-known senior advocate Paul Kennedy, who is an accused in a criminal case involving more than 700 charges, including the rape of a minor and sexual assault, has died.
Several senior figures in the legal fraternity confirmed to News24 on Monday night that Kennedy, who previously acted as a judge, had died.
The cause of his death has not been confirmed.
This comes a week before he was meant to appear in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
News24 had not named Kennedy in coverage of the child rape case because he and his co-accused had not pleaded.
He was arrested in July last year and was released on R20 000 bail.
Advocate Paul Kennedy, accused of child sex trafficking and rape, has died
According to the final indictment, which paints a picture of a well-organised child sex ring, the State alleges that the crimes were committed between September 2020 and July 2021.
The final indictment listed 735 charges between Kennedy and his co-accused.
While most of the new charges in the final indictment related to the unlawful possession, creation and importing or procurement and distribution of child pornography, both the Kennedy and his co-accused faced a host of new charges, including rape and sexual assault.
Charges Kennedy faced
According to the final indictment, the advocate was charged with three separate counts of rape.
He was also charged with compelled rape. The State alleged that Kennedy compelled an unknown person to have intercourse with one of the teenage victims without his consent.
Kennedy also faced four counts of sexual assault, charges of compelled sexual assault, sexual exploitation of children, the sexual grooming of children, benefitting of the services of a child victim of trafficking, and financing, controlling or organising the trafficking of a child victim.
According to the State, Kennedy had 25 images of child pornography on his cellphone and laptop. He had also been accused of creating child pornography with at least one of the victims.
According to the summary of substantial facts, both accused were involved in the peddling of child pornography, which, in its various forms, depicted known and unknown minor children.
“The devices of both accused were confiscated and found to contain images and videos of child pornography,” the indictment read.
– Additional reporting Karyn Maughan
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Source by www.news24.com
