[imagesource: Gallo Images / Phill Magakoe]

Nicholas Ninow will forever be known as the Dros Rapist.

His mother might think he “just made a mistake”, but raping a seven-year-old in the toilet of a restaurant warrants life behind bars, which is what Ninow received.

The convicted child rapist is set to appeal his sentence (more on that later), but News24 reports that Ninow was recently caught in possession of a cellphone in the Baviaanspoort prison.

His cell was searched on Saturday:

The discovery was made after News24 probed allegations that Ninow had obtained a cellphone and had been using it to access social media.

Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed to News24 that the cellphone had been found.

Image: Xanderleigh Dookey/EWN

“This is a disturbing development as the Department of Correctional Services is working towards having contraband-free facilities,” Nxumalo said.

Cellphones are classified as contraband, and an investigation is now underway to establish how the phone was smuggled in.

Ninow will also be hit with a criminal charge, which Nxumalo said could see “the withdrawal of privileges for a specified period, reclassification (downgrade) and other punitive measures”.

This isn’t the first time he has broken the rules while in custody, with Ninow admitting during his trial that he used drugs while being held at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria.

He has a long history of drug use.

The recent transgression will not affect his appeal against his prison term, with confirmation coming last week that Ninow has been granted leave to appeal against his conviction and sentence after petitioning the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

Again, via News24:

…Ninow had petitioned the Bloemfontein court directly in December last year and was granted access to appeal. However, appeal papers have not yet been filed.

Ninow will likely be appealing the sentence and the high court’s conviction, which found the rape was premeditated.

In handing down the life sentence in October 2019, Judge Mokhine Mosopa ruled that Ninow had stalked the victim, and also threatened her to keep quiet.

The waitress who served Ninow that day said he moved to a table closer to the children’s play area after he had ordered, which Mosopa said pointed to the premeditated nature of his crime.

[sources:news24&news24]