Johannesburg – A security guard, who raped a 14-year-old girl on his first day on duty at a complex in Florida, has been sent to prison for life by the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court.
The court sentenced 26-year-old Mpho Antonio Lebona on Monday, 4 August 2025.
National Prosecuting Authority Spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the crime was committed by Lebona in January 2021.
“The victim managed to escape and immediately reported the incident to other residents, which led to the accused’s swift arrest at the scene, and he was charged with Rape,” said Mjonondwane.
Investigations by Sergeant Baloyi revealed that the incident occurred on the accused’s first day of employment.
Lebona had been tasked with overseeing access to the complex’s communal washing area.
The 14-year-old girl, who resided at the complex, asked Lebona to unlock the washing area.
“The victim’s parents were at work during the commission of the offence, the accused locked the door behind them and raped the victim, also inflicting a bite wound on her neck,” Mjonondwane said.
During the trial, evidence revealed the devastating impact of the crime, with the victim providing a detailed and harrowing account of the violent sexual assault.
The accused admitted to being with the 14-year-old girl, but claimed their interaction was consensual.
However, Magistrate Thelma Simpson dismissed his testimony as entirely false and improbable and found him guilty of rape.
Before sentencing, Regional Court Prosecutor Claude Payne presented victim impact statements from the child and her mother, which detailed their trauma.
The Magistrate sentenced Lebona to life imprisonment for the heinous crime.
