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The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya expressed his satisfaction with the substantial sentence meted out to William Lucas Rudman (66) who engaged in cunnilingus conduct enticing young girls to visit his home and gave them gifts, money, cell phones, food, alcohol, cigarettes and dagga to sexually exploit them.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, between May 2021 and October 2021, Rudman was exposed on social media as well as through information received about him engaging with minors.
Fumba said that he was then arrested by the Graaf-Reinet Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and he then appeared at the Somerset Magistrate’s Court and was later released on R1 000 bail.
“The matter was then referred to the Gqeberha Serious Organised Crime Investigation's Trafficking in Persons of the Hawks for further probing,” said Fumba.
“The meticulous investigation revealed that Rudman associated himself with young girls between 12 and 16 years and conned them to be his friends. It was further uncovered that he invited the young girls to his house where he enticed them with a variety of gifts including alcohol. He then molested them while they were intoxicated, raped them, and touched them inappropriately.”
Fumba said that Rudman made several court appearances until he was sentenced by the Makhanda High Court on February 23.
The subsequent legal process ended with Rudman receiving 10 years imprisonment for trafficking in persons, three years imprisonment for rape, and 18 months imprisonment for sexual assault.
“All sentences will run concurrently, and Rudman will serve an effective 14-year imprisonment term,” said Fumba.
