Credit card payments by Camp’s Bay businessman Andrew Stofberg, allegedly for child pornography, formed part of an international investigation by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.
However, by the time the FBI’s Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which monitors credit card trade in child pornography, had alerted Western Cape police to Stofberg’s alleged transactions, he was already under investigation, Superintendent Jan Swart told magistrate Herman van der Merwe.
Stofberg on Thursday pleaded not guilty to possessing 238 images of child pornography, allegedly found on his personal computer on August 5 last year at his home in Marine Heights.
Swart told the court the images showed children under 18 — some as young as three and five — involved in sexual acts with adults and other children, and had been paid for by credit card.
While he agreed under cross-examination that images of child pornography could pop-up on screen and be downloaded free of charge during legitimate internet usage, Swart told the court the images such as those found on the personal computer could only be obtained by credit card payment.
He emphasised that although he had a record of all Stofberg’s online credit card transactions, the charge against him was one of possession and not unlawful purchase of child pornography.
Swart told the court that even deleted images, which could be ”undeleted”, fell within the ambit of unlawful possession.
The hearing continues. – Sapa