The high court in Polokwane sentenced 21-year-old rapist Mehlodi Robert Baloyi to two life terms on Wednesday.
Baloyi was convicted of raping four victims aged between 15 and 22 at different locations in the Westenburg and Seshego policing precincts between August 2019 and October 2020.
In addition to the two life terms for two counts of rape, Baloyi was also sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for the other two counts of rape, 10 years for robbery and two years for theft.
The court found the accused had used a Facebook platform to advertise body tattoos.
Interested customers would approach him through Facebook messenger texts and he would offer them free tattoos, claiming it would be his marketing strategy in the victims' areas.
“Upon the victims agreeing to come to his tattoo shop, he would then take them to an abandoned RDP house at Westenburg Extension 71 and then rape them. Some of the victims were robbed of their cellphones,” said Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo.
He said all the cases were reported to the police in Westenburg and Seshego and then transferred to Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences for further handling.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Limpopo police provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe welcomed the lengthy sentence.
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Rapist who lured victims with promise of free tattoo inkings is jailed
Image: 123RF/scanrail
The high court in Polokwane sentenced 21-year-old rapist Mehlodi Robert Baloyi to two life terms on Wednesday.
Baloyi was convicted of raping four victims aged between 15 and 22 at different locations in the Westenburg and Seshego policing precincts between August 2019 and October 2020.
In addition to the two life terms for two counts of rape, Baloyi was also sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for the other two counts of rape, 10 years for robbery and two years for theft.
The court found the accused had used a Facebook platform to advertise body tattoos.
Interested customers would approach him through Facebook messenger texts and he would offer them free tattoos, claiming it would be his marketing strategy in the victims' areas.
“Upon the victims agreeing to come to his tattoo shop, he would then take them to an abandoned RDP house at Westenburg Extension 71 and then rape them. Some of the victims were robbed of their cellphones,” said Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo.
He said all the cases were reported to the police in Westenburg and Seshego and then transferred to Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences for further handling.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Limpopo police provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe welcomed the lengthy sentence.
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