Back in 2017, we reported on the molestation of teens at Parktown Boys’ High School, one of the “oldest and most respected government schools in South Africa”.

More than 20 students came forward from the Johannesburg school, accusing their water polo coach of sexual assault after surveillance footage caught the teacher fondling a 15-year-old boy’s genitals.

Following this horrific revelation, you’d think that the school would do their best to protect the victims.  Rather, earlier this year Parktown was accused of secondary victimisation of students, perpetuating a “culture of silence” and discouraging other abused students from coming forward.

Well, that didn’t work. Yesterday, 22-year-old Collan Rex, who is actually the assistant coach at the high school, pleaded guilty to 144 sexual assault charges at Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

Rex (below), who was also a student at Parktown, began working there after he matriculated in 2014, writes IOL.

Times LIVE reports that:

Collan Rex, 22, calmly told acting judge Peet Johnson that he understood that he was not obliged to make any admissions.

“Are you aware it boils down to a plea of guilty?” Johnson asked him, to which he replied “yes”.

A group of parents sitting in criminal court 6 at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday cried softly as state prosecutor Advocate Arveena Persad read out the 144 counts of sexual assault admitted to by Rex.

The 12 victims were aged between 13 and 16 at the time of the assaults, which took place in 2015 and 2016.

The counts he pleaded guilty to included grabbing the boys’ genitals, rubbing his genitals against the boys’ genitals while both were fully clothed (known as dry humping), and touching their genital organs and pubic hair.

Another Times LIVE piece with more of Rex’s criminal conduct. A warning that acts of sexual assault are about to be described in detail:

[He] is also accused of showing another boy the erotic movie Fifty Shades of Grey on his laptop while stroking his face before whipping his legs…

During one of the homework sessions the accused allegedly made a penis out of playdough and told one of the boys to suck it…

In an incident in the dormitory, Rex allegedly choked a pupil who “could not get out of the accused’s lock and subsequently passed out”…

In another count of attempted murder, he allegedly choked a pupil while supervising homework, which resulted in the pupil battling to breathe.

The case has been postponed until Monday, where prosecutor Advocate Arveena Persad said the State was expected to lead its first witnesses.

Rex is facing one count of rape, 94 counts of attempted murder, exposure of children to porn, assault and sexual grooming.

[source:iol&timeslive]