Suspected sex pest arrested at mall

A suspected sex pest has been arrested for allegedly stalking schoolgirls at a Kloof supermarket and furtively taking pictures with his cellphone of their bottoms and knickers.

The 57-year-old suspect was allegedly caught a few months ago doing the same thing at another Durban shopping centre. He was convicted of crimen injuria and sent for counselling and rehabilitation, a police source said.

The source said the suspect was identified on Tuesday after a customer reported to management at the Village Mall Superspar what she thought was suspicious behaviour.

Spar KZN managing-director, Rob Phillipson, said security was alerted and started surveillance of the man’s movements via closed-circuit television.

He apparently left the shop and returned the following afternoon at the same time. It is suspected he was targeting the girls after school.

Phillipson said when security detected the man on Wednesday, they watched his every move on camera.

He was allegedly seen stalking young schoolgirls and using his cellphone to take pictures or videos of them.

Police were alerted and the man was arrested a short while later.

They had also heard claims that the man had been convicted on a similar offence earlier this year.

The police source said the CCTV footage showed the man entering the shop at about 2.30pm. He was apparently seen collecting a trolley and walking slowly aisle by aisle, carefully placing a few items in his trolley.

“Once he identified a victim he tried to get as close as possible to her. Once the victim’s back was turned, he either pretended to pick an item from a bottom shelf or when the victim bent down, he quickly positioned the cellphone under her dress and clicked.

“He is a smooth operator. It all happens so quickly, the schoolgirls are totally unaware.”

The source said several pictures of girls’ bottoms and knickers were apparently found on the phone.

He is expected to appear in court on Monday. - Daily News