The trial of a Gqeberha librarian who is accused of luring young boys to his home performing sexual acts on them hit a snag on Friday when it emerged his lawyer was not at court.
It has been nearly two months since Romano Hendricks, 37, last appeared in the city’s regional court, where he faces eight charges including statutory rape, sexual exploitation of children and grooming.
He pleaded not guilty when his trial got under way in October.
On Friday, the court heard that Hendricks’s attorney, George Malgas, was not in the city and could not continue with the case.
It is understood that Hendricks intends to call three witnesses to testify on his behalf.
During his testimony, Hendricks denied that two boys, aged 13 and 14, had ever been to his Bethelsdorp home, where the offences allegedly took place.
It is alleged that on various occasions during 2019, the teenagers visited Hendricks’s house, where he expose them to pornography before paying them for him to perform sexual acts on them.
In his testimony Hendricks admitted he had previously been accused of sex acts against a 14-year-old when he lived in Arcadia.
While the exact details of that matter are unclear, it is alleged Hendricks used the same modus operandi. However he was acquitted on all charges.
According to Hendricks, he was acquitted in the earlier case, claiming that his alleged victim had blackmailed him.
In his current case, Hendricks has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the teenagers had wanted money from him. They claimed in their testimonies that Hendricks had paid them to not report the matter to the police.
Hendricks is expected back in court on January 20.
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