Gauteng police have confirmed that a 35-year-old man was arrested after he was allegedly found in possession of at least 10 million child pornography images and videos at his house in Midrand.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the man was allegedly also in possession of drugs.
"During the operation, a number of electronic devices suspected to contain child sexual abuse material (child pornography) were confiscated. A forensic analysis of these devices was conducted on scene by cybercrime experts, an estimated number of 10 million child pornography images and videos were detected thus far," she said.
Van Wyk said large amounts of cash, believed to be the proceeds of crime, were also seized.
She stated that the arrest resulted from information shared by international law enforcement with the South African Police Services (SAPS), following the identification of a target within South Africa.
"Further investigation by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) teams revealed that the suspect is hosting and distributing child pornography on a global scale for financial gain," said van Wyk.
The suspect is expected to appear before Randburg Magistrates' Court next week while investigation continues.
"His identity will remain withheld until he has formally pleaded in court," added van Wyk.
In the last two years, van Wyk said police arrested 21 suspects on charges related to child pornography countrywide
In December 2024, a 41-year-old former school principal in Pretoria and a 49-year-old suspect in Vanderbijlpark were apprehended during similar operations.
IOL