The Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha South Africa, has acquitted 66 year old Tim Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist and senior pastor of Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church in South Africa of all charges of rape.
This was revealed during a court ruling by Judge Irma Schoeman, on Wednesday, April 2.
TheNewsGuru reports Omotoso, had faced 32 charges, including se+ual exploitation and human trafficking.
Omotoso was arrested in 2017 amid accusations that he handpicked young women from his congregation and coerced them into se+ual acts under the guise of spiritual guidance.
Some of the women who testified against him were members of a gospel music group he had founded called Grace Galaxy, while others were still in school at the time of the alleged incidents.
The prosecution argued that Omotoso had used his religious influence to exploit vulnerable women, often praying for forgiveness after each encounter.
However, the defence maintained that the allegations were baseless and lacked concrete evidence.
Giving her judgment, Schoeman noted that the women who testified against Omotoso claimed that they were selected by the pastor, who would pray for forgiveness after each encounter with them.
Some of the women had been members of a gospel girl group called Grace Galaxy, formed by the pastor, while others were still in school.
Schoeman stated that although the pastor’s explanations seemed unlikely, the state prosecutors failed to prove their case against him and two of his assistants, who also faced charges, beyond a reasonable doubt.
She said, “The accused are found not guilty and are discharged on all the charges.”
He will be deported to Nigeria immediately.