A 59-year-old Milnerton man has appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court in a trafficking and rape case linked to alleged sexual exploitation in Cape Town.
According to IOL, Mark John Ross faces charges of trafficking in persons, rape and contraventions of the Cybercrimes Act. The Hawks arrested him at his residence on Wednesday during a tracing operation.
Hawks Arrest Milnerton Man in Trafficking Case
The case centres on allegations made by a 19-year-old complainant. IOL reported that the alleged offences took place between 15 October 2025 and November 2025.
Hawks provincial spokesperson Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani told IOL that officers searched Ross’s house for a firearm allegedly used during the commission of a crime. Investigators also seized other exhibits during the search.
According to Hani, the complainant reported that a friend she met on Facebook persuaded her to go to a lodge in Milnerton. There, the friend allegedly handed her over to a man who took her into a room.
IOL reported that the complainant alleged the man threatened her with a firearm, took nude photographs of her and raped her. The suspect then allegedly used the images to threaten her and force further meetings.
The complainant later reported the matter after a family member allegedly saw the images on Facebook. Hani said a case of trafficking in persons and rape was opened in November 2025.
Case Postponed For Formal Bail Application
Ross was remanded in custody after his court appearance. The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court postponed the matter to 25 June 2026 for a formal bail application, according to IOL.
The case remains under investigation. Hani said investigators had identified one suspect during the probe and warned that “more arrests are imminent”.
South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 7 of 2013 criminalises trafficking and related offences. The Department of Justice says the law also provides for the protection and assistance of trafficking victims.
The Hawks, formally known as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, investigate national priority offences, including serious organised crime. In a separate Milnerton matter in May 2026, EWN reported that the Hawks arrested a suspected human trafficker after three possible victims were rescued in Brooklyn.
Responses and next steps
No defence response or plea was reported in the available source article. Ross has not been convicted, and the allegations must still be tested in court.
The next confirmed step in the case is the formal bail application scheduled for 25 June 2026.