Crisis deepens after Moodley, Wilken case exposes failures

THE 16 Days of Activism campaign may have concluded, but child-protection organisations warn that the dangers it highlighted remain urgent and increasingly severe.

- ANITA NKONKI

As public focus shifts, the Tiona Megan Moodley and Darren Gavin Wilken case has thrust South Africa into the centre of a global crisis. Experts say it underscores the extent to which digital crimes have outpaced laws, safety systems and the capacity of platforms to protect children.

It is also revealed that the rapid spread of child sexual exploitation online is taking place on mainstream platforms, where children themselves are active.

The pair face charges relating to possession, distribution, transmission and commercial exploitation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), alongside allegations of unlawful interception of data, fraud, drug possession, organised crime and money laundering.

Authorities seized an unprecedented 39 terabytes of illegal material linked to the pair, alongside charges involving unlawful interception of data, drug possession, organised crime, money laundering and fraud.

Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA), which has been closely monitoring the case, says the sheer volume of evidence shows the magnitude of the crisis.

WMACA Advocacy stated: "Today's indictment is not the end point. It is the beginning of a long, necessary journey toward systemic accountability in the digital-crime ecosystem."