The man who has become known as the "Facebook rapist" allegedly went by aliases including: Thomas Bester, Tom Bester, Thabo Tom Bester, Tom Kelly, Thomas Kelly Bester, Thomas Berter, TK, Thomas Kelly Young, Kelly Young, Thomas Magagula, Thabo Magagula, Kelly Johnstone, Rufus Mahopo, Tom Rufus Reddy. The man who has become known as the "Facebook rapist" allegedly went by aliases including: Thomas Bester, Tom Bester, Thabo Tom Bester, Tom Kelly, Thomas Kelly Bester, Thomas Berter, TK, Thomas Kelly Young, Kelly Young, Thomas Magagula, Thabo Magagula, Kelly Johnstone, Rufus Mahopo, Tom Rufus Reddy.
Police say the man known as the “Facebook rapist” is now wanted for a second rape of a model.
The man, who goes by the name of Thomas Bester, one of at least 13 aliases, was initially wanted for the rape of a model in Durban, among other crimes.
Bester reportedly phoned a police detective two weeks ago and asked about negotiating a prison sentence.
Police said Bester had lured the model from Johannesburg to a guesthouse in Durban, where he raped and stabbed her on August 19.
On Tuesday, Anton Booysen, the KwaZulu-Natal head of the Psychologically Motivated Crimes Unit, said a second model had since come forward saying Bester raped her.
Booysen said a friend of the 26-year-old woman had told her about a man, Bester, who was looking for models.
“This woman responded and was lured to a B&B in Westville (Durban), where he raped her,” he said.
Booysen said more victims were coming forward.
In one of the most recent incidents, 26-year-old Nomfundo Tyulu of Pretoria was murdered in a Milnerton B&B on September 21. Bester is also wanted for a string of other crimes, including theft and fraud, in Durban, Gauteng and Cape Town.
Booysen said Bester had called him about two weeks ago. “He said: ‘It’s Thomas Bester, Thabo Magagula, or whatever you want to call me.’ I said: ‘I expected your call… What can I do for you?’”
Bester wanted to know if he could negotiate a prison sentence, he said.
“I said we can’t negotiate, but we can talk to the prosecutors if you’re showing remorse. He said: ‘I know you get a minimum 15-year sentence for rape alone.’ We spoke for a while. In the end, he said he’d rather kill himself.
“That was the end of the conversation.
“He said he’d send me a number I could reach him on, but he never did,” he said.
Booysen had known it was Bester because the caller knew details about crimes Bester committed that no other person except Bester could know.
He said Bester contacting him and trying to negotiate a prison sentence meant he was trying to stay in control.
“If he gets caught in the act, he’s lost control. If he walks into a police station and is arrested, he’s in control because he can say he handed himself over.”
Booysen described Bester as a sociopath – an extremely antisocial person who showed no remorse for his behaviour.
Bester, who is also known as Thabo Magagula, TK, Rufus Mahopo, Kelly Young and Tom Kelly, previously had Facebook accounts, but appeared to have since deleted these. - Cape Times
caryn.dolley@inl.co.za
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