Rehoboth DJ jailed for 15 years for rape

A REHOBOTH resident, who at the age of 36 is the father of nine children, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted in the Rehoboth Regional Court on a charge of rape.

Ben Andy Moritz was working as a disc jockey at a nightclub at Rehoboth’s Suidwes Hotel at the time of the incident that saw him sent to jail on Thursday. The incident was alleged to have taken place in the early morning hours of December 25 2004, when a 15-year-old girl, who had visited the club where Moritz was spinning the discs, claimed she was raped by Moritz in his room.Moritz pleaded not guilty when his trial started before Magistrate Christie Mostert on August 8.According to the girl, Moritz asked her to accompany him to his room, where he said he wanted to show her something.In the room he then raped her, she told the court.Injured and traumatised after the event, she spent about two weeks in hospital to receive treatment, the court heard.Moritz denied that any incident as claimed by the girl had happened.The Magistrate, however, was impressed by the girl’s behaviour as a witness, concluded that she was a credible witness, and accordingly found Moritz guilty of rape.Commenting that he regarded the case as particularly serious, the Magistrate sentenced Moritz to a 15-year jail term.Moritz informed the court before sentencing that he was unmarried and the father of nine children, of whom the youngest two are twins.He had initially been free on bail while the charge against him was pending.When he then failed to appear in court as scheduled, he was arrested at Mariental and kept in custody until his trial was finalised.Moritz was not legally represented during the trial.Public Prosecutor Vanessa Stanley represented the State.The incident was alleged to have taken place in the early morning hours of December 25 2004, when a 15-year-old girl, who had visited the club where Moritz was spinning the discs, claimed she was raped by Moritz in his room.Moritz pleaded not guilty when his trial started before Magistrate Christie Mostert on August 8.According to the girl, Moritz asked her to accompany him to his room, where he said he wanted to show her something.In the room he then raped her, she told the court.Injured and traumatised after the event, she spent about two weeks in hospital to receive treatment, the court heard.Moritz denied that any incident as claimed by the girl had happened.The Magistrate, however, was impressed by the girl’s behaviour as a witness, concluded that she was a credible witness, and accordingly found Moritz guilty of rape.Commenting that he regarded the case as particularly serious, the Magistrate sentenced Moritz to a 15-year jail term.Moritz informed the court before sentencing that he was unmarried and the father of nine children, of whom the youngest two are twins.He had initially been free on bail while the charge against him was pending.When he then failed to appear in court as scheduled, he was arrested at Mariental and kept in custody until his trial was finalised.Moritz was not legally represented during the trial.Public Prosecutor Vanessa Stanley represented the State.