East London has been rocked by a shocking sex scandal involving teenage girls and boys from some of the city’s top schools.
The teens – white girls and black boys – posed for pornographic shoots about four years ago when some of them were still at school, but have been shocked and humiliated when the explicit photographs started cropping up on social media about two months ago. Links to some of the most graphic images have been in circulation, causing humiliation and distress to those involved.
Now a man blamed for uploading some of the photographs onto a Twitter site has fled town, saying he had four death threats levelled against him.
The scandal has led to a sombre warning from an East London psychologist that once intimate photographs hit cyberspace their subjects become disempowered.
From what the Saturday Dispatch has been able to establish from reliable sources, the teenagers were told the photographs – for which they were paid – would appear in a magazine in Europe.
Instead, they feature on pornography websites dedicated to interracial sex.
In the last few months some of the graphic images appeared on social media sites and became the object of salacious gossip in the city. The girls, most of whom were recruited by two people, were picked up from various spots around the city and driven to B&Bs or private homes where hard-tack alcohol and dagga were freely available ahead of the shoot.
They then engaged in X-rated sex sessions and were photographed by the photographer, who is not from East London.
In photographs seen by the Dispatch, condoms were not used.
When the Dispatch contacted some of the girls, they said their lives had been shattered by the circulation of the photos in which some had sex with more than one man. They were reportedly paid between R3000 and R5000 for taking part.
They said they feared their current relationships would be at risk if they spoke to the media.
One woman said she was 19 at the time of the shoot which took place in Selborne in 2010.
She said she “blanked out” after one drink, but denied being involved in sex. However she felt “violated and filthy” after finding a picture of herself on social media. In a heartfelt warning to young girls, she said they should “never trust a drink from anyone”.
“Girls need to be very careful,” she said. A young man who took part in a porn shoot in Selborne said he had been “hooked up” with the photographer who gave him a time and place to meet.
He said he had been told the photographs would be sexual in nature.
“When I got there, there were three ladies there as well as the photographer. The girls were in gowns and I went into a bedroom with one,” said the man, who was 19 at the time.
He said although he and the girl had engaged in sex acts, he was “too distracted” by the presence of the photographer to have full sex. He said although he saw condoms “lying around” he did not use one. The man claimed although he had been promised R2000 for the job, he had not received any payment.
“After the shoot I was told to come back the next day, but decided against it. I had a bad feeling in my gut and decided not to go.” He said in retrospect he felt it was a mistake to get involved.
A man, who would identify himself only as Ryan, said he had received death threats after being accused of posting the pictures of the East London girls onto a Twitter site. He strongly denied any involvement in the site, which now appears to have now been blocked. “I have no idea who did it ... I got four death threats about two weeks ago on Facebook, whatsapp and SMS.
“I resigned and left town. I can’t go back to East London. I know these girls were wronged because their pictures were on social media and I know I am not the victim here. I feel sorry for them.”
Well-known East London model agency boss Melanie Obrig Bruyns warned that it was crucial for girls to obtain a photographer’s references before participating in a shoot.
“Parents also need to get involved and meet the photographer first.”
Provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci said following an anonymous complaint about East London schoolgirls who had appeared on an internet website, police were investigating.
“The matter was treated in terms of Section 54(1) of the Act 32 of 2007 which places an obligation on any person who has knowledge that a sexual offence has been committed against a child to report such an offence to the police. The section further criminalises failure to report that a sexual offence has been committed against a child.”
She said the Cyber Crime Unit was requested to assist with the investigation because the website was set up with an offshore account.
“Once the investigation is fully conducted it will be given to the DPP to make a decision if any crime was/is being committed.”
Soci said contravention of this section could result in a fine or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.
Teen porn scandal rocks EL
The teens – white girls and black boys – posed for pornographic shoots about four years ago when some of them were still at school, but have been shocked and humiliated when the explicit photographs started cropping up on social media about two months ago. Links to some of the most graphic images have been in circulation, causing humiliation and distress to those involved.
Now a man blamed for uploading some of the photographs onto a Twitter site has fled town, saying he had four death threats levelled against him.
The scandal has led to a sombre warning from an East London psychologist that once intimate photographs hit cyberspace their subjects become disempowered.
From what the Saturday Dispatch has been able to establish from reliable sources, the teenagers were told the photographs – for which they were paid – would appear in a magazine in Europe.
Instead, they feature on pornography websites dedicated to interracial sex.
In the last few months some of the graphic images appeared on social media sites and became the object of salacious gossip in the city. The girls, most of whom were recruited by two people, were picked up from various spots around the city and driven to B&Bs or private homes where hard-tack alcohol and dagga were freely available ahead of the shoot.
They then engaged in X-rated sex sessions and were photographed by the photographer, who is not from East London.
In photographs seen by the Dispatch, condoms were not used.
When the Dispatch contacted some of the girls, they said their lives had been shattered by the circulation of the photos in which some had sex with more than one man. They were reportedly paid between R3000 and R5000 for taking part.
They said they feared their current relationships would be at risk if they spoke to the media.
One woman said she was 19 at the time of the shoot which took place in Selborne in 2010.
She said she “blanked out” after one drink, but denied being involved in sex. However she felt “violated and filthy” after finding a picture of herself on social media. In a heartfelt warning to young girls, she said they should “never trust a drink from anyone”.
“Girls need to be very careful,” she said. A young man who took part in a porn shoot in Selborne said he had been “hooked up” with the photographer who gave him a time and place to meet.
He said he had been told the photographs would be sexual in nature.
“When I got there, there were three ladies there as well as the photographer. The girls were in gowns and I went into a bedroom with one,” said the man, who was 19 at the time.
He said although he and the girl had engaged in sex acts, he was “too distracted” by the presence of the photographer to have full sex. He said although he saw condoms “lying around” he did not use one. The man claimed although he had been promised R2000 for the job, he had not received any payment.
“After the shoot I was told to come back the next day, but decided against it. I had a bad feeling in my gut and decided not to go.” He said in retrospect he felt it was a mistake to get involved.
A man, who would identify himself only as Ryan, said he had received death threats after being accused of posting the pictures of the East London girls onto a Twitter site. He strongly denied any involvement in the site, which now appears to have now been blocked. “I have no idea who did it ... I got four death threats about two weeks ago on Facebook, whatsapp and SMS.
“I resigned and left town. I can’t go back to East London. I know these girls were wronged because their pictures were on social media and I know I am not the victim here. I feel sorry for them.”
Well-known East London model agency boss Melanie Obrig Bruyns warned that it was crucial for girls to obtain a photographer’s references before participating in a shoot.
“Parents also need to get involved and meet the photographer first.”
Provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci said following an anonymous complaint about East London schoolgirls who had appeared on an internet website, police were investigating.
“The matter was treated in terms of Section 54(1) of the Act 32 of 2007 which places an obligation on any person who has knowledge that a sexual offence has been committed against a child to report such an offence to the police. The section further criminalises failure to report that a sexual offence has been committed against a child.”
She said the Cyber Crime Unit was requested to assist with the investigation because the website was set up with an offshore account.
“Once the investigation is fully conducted it will be given to the DPP to make a decision if any crime was/is being committed.”
Soci said contravention of this section could result in a fine or imprisonment not exceeding five years or both.
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