A lawyer from Muizenberg has been found guilty of rape and the sexual exploitation of a child by the Wynberg Regional Court.
Nearly three years after his arrest, former Legal Aid lawyer Theo Hartzenberg, 39, who was accused of paying teen boys to have sex with him on Muizenberg beach, was found guilty on three of the 25 charges he faced.
Hartzenberg’s sick crimes against the laaities emerged in 2021 after concerned parents came forward.
At the time, a 39-year-old mother, who may not be named, told the Daily Voice that her 14-year-old son had revealed that the group of boys had visited Surfer’s Corner each day where they beg for money and met Hartzenberg.
The boys said each day they would meet Hartzenberg after sunset when he would allegedly pay them R100 to penetrate him.
They said he specifically asked the teens with the “big penises” to penetrate him and those with “smaller penises” were asked to masturbate in front of him for R50.
Hartzenberg was later arrested and appeared in the Muizenberg Magistrate’s Court where he was released on R10 000 bail.
During the trial, the State called a 21-year-old witness, who may not be named, who told the court of the alleged arrangements made with the boys.
The witness testified that he knew Hartzenberg as the lawyer who lived in the Empire building. He said when the boys visited Hartzenberg, he would serve as the “lookout”.
After each boy penetrated Hartzenberg, they were allegedly paid R100.
The judgement lists various occasions where the sexual interactions took place between March and May 2021. Witnesses also told the court that the boys were made to use condoms and some of them had struggled to get erections.
According to the judgement, Hartzenberg was found guilty on one charge of statutory rape, one count of exploitation and one count for paying an adult male for sex.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says sentencing procedures will commence at Wynberg Regional Court on 18 April.
Legal Aid spokesperson Boitumelo Boshupeng, says Hartzenberg handed in his resignation letter before the charges were brought against him.
Boshupeng confirms: “According to our records, Theo Hartzenberg resigned from Legal Aid SA long before these charges and court case were brought against him.
“We have no further comments regarding this matter.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za