The 65-year-old accused, whose name has been withheld to protect the identity of the complainant, was charged with rape on Wednesday before Western Commonage regional magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze.
The self-actor was remanded in custody until October 16 and instructed to apply for bail at the Bulawayo High Court. The accused is a former convict and teacher from the Njube suburb of Bulawayo.
The court heard that on Sunday last week, at around 3 PM, the accused called the nine-year-old victim and other children for extra lessons before leaving for his bedroom.
He later summoned the victim to bring him exercise books for marking. Upon entering his bedroom, he instructed her to place the books on the table and look for others he had marked.
While she searched, he allegedly undressed and threatened her if she screamed. He then ordered her to lie on the bed and assaulted her while recording the act.
Afterwards, he took explicit photos and videos of both the victim and himself, storing them on his phone. The accused allegedly forced the victim to watch the X-rated video and raped her again.
Later that evening, the minor informed her parents about the incident, prompting them to report it to Njube Police Station. This led to the arrest of the 65-year-old man and the recovery of the explicit images and videos.
The accused has a prior conviction; in 2021, he was sentenced to 24 months in jail for fondling a minor’s breasts and private parts, with six months suspended, resulting in an 18-month prison term.
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