Shades of Thabo Bester: Four life sentences for another ‘Facebook rapist’
· The South African
The sentencing of Victor Mokoena to four life terms for raping women he lured through social media has drawn attention to similarities between his crimes and the case of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, who became known as the “Facebook Rapist”.
Although they are two different cases, both men used social media platforms to gain the trust of women by offering fake opportunities before they attacked them.
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The Gauteng Division of the High Court, Johannesburg, sentenced Mokoena after being convicted of four counts of rape, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and pointing an object resembling a firearm.
Mokoena was handed life imprisonment for each rape count. The sentences for the remaining offences will run concurrently with the life terms.
Mokoena’s social media traps
Mokoena operated around Johannesburg between March 2021 and October 2024. He targeted young women through Facebook and Instagram.
The investigators found that he presented himself as either the photographer or a promoter. He approached victims with promises of modelling jobs, promotional work and photoshoots.
After successful social media meeting arrangements, Mokoena took the women to secluded areas where he raped and assaulted them.
In some cases, he allegedly strangled victims, threatened them with an object resembling a firearm and stole their belongings.
In an attempt to hide his identity and interfere with investigations, he deleted conversations and contact details from their phones.
Similar tactics to the Thabo Bester case
Bester’s crimes followed a similar pattern; he also used Facebook profiles and fake talent agency fronts to approach women, in particular those interested in modelling and entertainment opportunities.
Like Mokoena, Bester created a false image of himself online to gain access to victims. He also lured women with promises of opportunities before meeting them in person, where he committed violent crimes.
Digital evidence helped expose Mokoena
The investigation into Mokoena’s crimes linked several cases through similarities in his methods and digital evidence collected from victims.
Police found that he used different names while communicating with women online. Investigators were able to connect the accounts and cases.
Sergeant Nedombeloni played a major role in linking the case to Mokoena. On the other hand, State Advocate Hope Zwane argued that his tactics were carefully planned and repeted target on women showed he is a danger to society.
The court argued that Mokoena had shown no regard for his victims and that he also used degrading language towards the victims.
NPA welcomes sentence
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence, saying the outcome reflected the seriousness of the crimes and the efforts of investigators and prosecutors to hold Mokoena accountable.
The NPA urged members of the public, especially young people, to be cautious when responding to online job offers. It also urged them to verify the identities of people they meet through social media before meeting them in person.