The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya expressed his satisfaction with the harsh sentence meted out to William Lucas Rudman who engaged in cunnilingus conduct enticing young girls to visit his home and gave them gifts, money, cellphones, food, alchol, cigarettes and dagga with the intention of sexually exploiting them.
Between May 2021 and October 2021, Rudman was exposed on social media as well as through information received about him engaging with minors who were at the age of 13 years old. He was then arrested by the Graaff-Reinet Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit hence he appeared at Somerset Magistrates’ court and was later was released on R1000 bail.
The matter was then referred to the Gqeberha Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s Trafficking in Persons of the Hawks for further probing. The meticulous investigation revealed that indeed Rudman associated himself with young girls aged between 12 and 16 and conned them to be his friends. It was further uncovered that he will invite the young girls to his house where he entice them with various gifts including alcohol then molested them whilst they were intoxicated and raped them and touching them inappropriately.
The 66-year-old Rudman, made several court appearance until he was sentenced by the Makhanda High Court on 23 February 2024.
The subsequent legal process ended with Rudman receiving the following sentence:
Charge 1 – trafficking in persons (10 years’ imprisonment)
Charge 2 – Rape (three years’ imprisonment)
Charge 3 – Sexual Assault (18 months imprisonment)
Charge 4 – Sexual Assault (18 months imprisonment)
Charge 5 – Trafficking in Persons (10 years’ imprisonment)
Charge 9 – Trafficking in Persons (10 years’ imprisonment)
Charge10 – Rape (three years’ imprisonment)
All sentences will run concurrently and Rudman will serve an effective 14 years’ imprisonment term.
