The police fear former police reservist Johann Wickus Maree will re-offend once released on bail, citing the child pornography business was his main source of income.

Cristina Simaho, head of the Namibian police subdivision unit for Gender-Based Violence Protection, said despite the 50-year-old photographic equipment and computers confiscated by the police, there is a high chance of him using local internet cafés to access his business online. 

“There is a high chance of him re-offending because from what we have gathered so far, this pornography business was his main source of generating income,” said Simaho. 

Simaho was the second State witness to testify in Maree’s ongoing bail hearing. 

Asked why Maree did not flee although having heard of the investigations in 2019, Simaho responded that he was convinced that his manipulation of the victims would work in his favour.

“He bought the victims watches, clothes and gave them money. He also paid for swimming lessons for some of the victims,” explained Simaho.

Simaho who is also strongly opposing Maree’s release on bail said Maree knows his victims, their parents and where they reside. Therefore, it would not be in the best interest of the victims to have him released on bail. 

Adding the victims and their families are traumatised by what has happened. 

“He was trusted by the victims’ parents as he convinced them that they would make a lot of money from modelling,” said Simaho.

Maree allegedly sold himself to the victims and their guardians as a sports coach and modelling agent. 

Police detective Nelius Becker, the first State witness, is also against Maree being released on bail. He testified having been a police officer and private detective places Maree in a good position to interfere with investigations and State witnesses, as he knows all his victims.

Maree is charged with eight counts of rape, eight counts of indecent assault, eight charges of committing an immoral act with a child under the age of 16, eight counts of trafficking in persons by recruiting minor boys to subject them to sexual exploitation, and eight charges of using children to create child pornography. 

The prosecution is alleging Maree sexually assaulted under-aged boys and used them to produce pornography that he shared and sold on the internet.

He has denied all charges thus far.

Although the police have a confession from Maree in which he admits to all the allegations, he testified that he made the confession under duress. 

He testified that the police made a deal with him that should he confess to some of the allegations, they would allow him to see his dogs and they will not involve the victims and their children in the case. He was allegedly also promised that he would be released on bail. 

He said the police told him what to write in his confession.

Maree said he agreed to the deal, as he did not want the children to be subjected to cross-examination in court as he regards them as family. He said the police are yet to fulfil their end of the deal, as he has not seen his dogs since his arrest on 30 April 2020.

Simaho is scheduled to be cross examined by Maree’s defence lawyer Eva Nangolo today.  

Phelem Like is prosecuting for the State with Celma Amadhila presiding.

-mamakali@nepc.com.na