Darren Wilken and his ex-partner, Tiona Moodley, returned to the Randburg Magistrates’ Court today as they continued their bid for bail.
Darren Wilken child porn case: Here’s the latest
The pair face child pornography-related charges, accused of distributing millions of explicit images and videos globally.
During the proceedings, Wilken’s BMW license plate, which reads “KIDZ NA GP”, became a point of contention.
The investigating officer argued that the registration was incriminating, but Wilken’s lawyer dismissed this as a misrepresentation.
He claimed the officer deliberately omitted the “NA” from the plate when presenting evidence, making it seem more suggestive than it was.
Wilken himself described the registration as an “inside joke” between him and Moodley, although he did not elaborate further on its meaning.
Prosecutors, however, believe the personalised plate was a sadistic nod to the nature of his business.
Wilken also denied claims that he had earned millions from the alleged operation, stating that he was self-employed, earning around R50,000 per month.
He also contested reports that R600,000 in cash was found at his residence during his arrest, saying that only R476,000 was counted and that he had no idea where the remaining amount alleged by the State came from.
His lawyer accused the prosecution of stirring public outrage by inviting media to witness Wilken’s arrest and claimed the case was built on speculation rather than solid evidence.
Tiona Moodley lays the blame squarely on Darren
Moodley, a web designer, distanced herself from the allegations, pinning full responsibility on Wilken. Through her lawyer, she insisted she was merely a “puppet” in the operation, describing Wilken as the sole decision-maker in their business.
She acknowledged that she was the administrator of the company but said Wilken controlled all business accounts, including hers. She also denied trying to destroy evidence, explaining that she had only deleted personal conversations between her and Wilken before her phone was handed over to family.
Moodley admitted to logging out of Gmail accounts that weren’t hers but said this was done to maintain her privacy rather than to conceal evidence. She also claimed that while she built websites for their business, Wilken was the one who uploaded all the content.
Meanwhile, law enforcement continues to analyse the massive trove of digital evidence, which includes an estimated 10 million explicit images and videos.
The Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit has described the case as part of a larger international investigation, with South African authorities working alongside foreign law enforcement agencies.
The bail hearing remains ongoing, with the court yet to rule on whether Wilken and Moodley will be released pending trial.
