Prophet up for sodomy

Abel Zhakata Senior Reporter
A CHIPINGE-BASED self-styled prophet is alleged to have sodomised six teenagers whom he invited for prayers at his house and exposed some of them to pornographic material.Shadreck Mapiko of Mandaa Village under Chief Mapungwana was this week hauled before Mutare regional magistrate Mr Alex Shumba facing six counts of sodomy.

Public prosecutor Mr Mike Tembo told the court that the crimes were perpetrated since September 2011.

In the first count, the accused is alleged to have sexually abused a 17-year-old teenager who resides in the same village.

“On a date unknown to the prosecutor but in September 2011 during the night, the accused person, who is a prophet, invited the complainant to his homestead for a prayer session. When the complainant arrived, he invited him into his bedroom where he started to show him pornographic videos over the phone.

“Later the accused invited the complainant to his bed and while in the same blankets, the accused started to touch the complainant’s body and sexually abused him,” he said.

The State will produce a medical examination report done on the complainant which confirmed that he was abused.

In the second count, Mapiko allegedly sodomised another 17-year-old teenager from the same village on November 13, 2011.

He used the same modus operandi and invited the complainant to his house on the basis that he had a bad dream about him which required some prayers.

“The complainant went into his house where he was also sexually abused,” said Mr Tembo.

The third victim is an 18-year-old teenager who was invited to the prophet’s house under the guise that he wanted to transfer some music from his phone’s memory card to his.

He was abused in December 2011.

The fourth complainant is aged 19 and comes from the same village.

He was also invited to the house like the other complainants.

In June 2012, Mapiko is alleged to have sodomised another 17-year-old boy whom he had invited to his house for a prayer session.

In the sixth count, the prophet and the complainant (18) were coming from a church service in July 2012.

He allegedly invited the boy to his house since it was dark saying it was risky for him to go home. He went on and sodomised the boy.