Four life sentences for ‘Facebook rapist’ who lured women with fake modelling offers

Victor Mokoena has been sentenced to four life terms after a Gauteng court found he used social media to lure women with false modelling and promotional job offers before attacking them, according to The South African.

Court convictions and sentences

According to The South African, Mokoena was convicted on four counts of rape as well as attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and pointing an object resembling a firearm. The High Court handed down a life sentence for each rape count; the sentences for the other offences will run concurrently with those life terms.

How he targeted victims

The South African reports that Mokoena operated around Johannesburg between March 2021 and October 2024. He targeted young women through Facebook and Instagram, presenting himself as either a photographer or a promoter and offering promises of modelling jobs, promotional work and photoshoots. After arranging meetings through social media, he took victims to secluded areas where he raped and assaulted them.

The article says that in some instances he allegedly strangled victims, threatened them with an object resembling a firearm and stole their belongings. It also reports that Mokoena deleted conversations and contact details from victims’ phones in an attempt to hide his identity and interfere with investigations.

Investigation and prosecution

Investigators linked several cases through similarities in methods and through digital evidence collected from victims. The South African names Sergeant Nedombeloni as playing a major role in linking the matters to Mokoena. The publication also reports that State Advocate Hope Zwane argued the accused’s tactics were carefully planned and that his repeated targeting of women showed he posed a danger to society.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence, and, according to The South African, urged members of the publicespecially young peopleto be cautious when responding to online job offers and to verify the identities of people they meet through social media before meeting them in person.

Comparison with other social-media luring cases

The South African draws a comparison between Mokoena’s methods and those used by Thabo Bester, noting both men used social media profiles and fake talent agency fronts to approach women interested in modelling and entertainment opportunities. The publication highlights the similarity in how both offenders created false online identities to gain victims’ trust before meeting them in person.

Public safety implications

While the court has imposed lengthy sentences in Mokoena’s case, The South African’s reporting underscores broader risks of social-media–facilitated predation and the need for caution when responding to online offers that involve meeting strangers.