Judo club sex crime trial date to be set

THE case of a retired judo instructor accused of molesting boys he coached between 1989 and 2012 has been transferred to the Port Elizabeth Regional Court for a trial date to be arranged.

The man, 57, has handed over the reins of his judo club, in an upmarket Port Elizabeth suburb, to his son. The accused appeared briefly yesterday in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court, where the prosecution said investigations were complete.

It is alleged the accused, of Cotswold, molested four boys, aged between 12 and 18 at the time, while coaching them over a period spanning 23 years.

The latest incident allegedly occurred on a judo tour in East London in 2012.

He will appear in the regional court on July 9, when a trial date will be arranged between the prosecution and the defence. – Kathryn Kimberley